Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning
by Iridescent Phoenix
Summary: It's been many years later since the death of Rosette, Chrno, and Aion or so that's what many believe. Within present-day New York, it's up to a young teenage girl and her comrades to save the world once again. Discontinued.
1. So Many Questions, So Little Answers

Disclaimer: I don't own Chrno Crusade or any of its characters. If I did, I wouldn't be writing a fic about it. But I DO own Mia, Sister June, Sister Kristy, April, May, Reverend Maxwell, Arachnia, Tracie, Mary and the Deadly Mafia, and Claries and maybe many others to come that I don't know of as of yet. Anyways, read and enjoy.

* * *

**Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning**

**By:**

**Guardian Angel of Innocence**

**Chapter One: So Many Questions, So Little Answers**

The sounds of feet running in a hurry could be heard, splashing joining in every once in a while. The sound of panting could also be heard. It was clear that the owners of the noises were in quite a hurry.

Two shadowed figures could be seen in the darkness. These figures were running and came to a halt when they arrived at the door. The figure hesitantly put a hand over the knob.

"You do realize that once we enter, there will be no turning back," a boy's voice said, coming from the second figure.

A sigh could be heard coming from the first figure, a girl's voice saying, "I'm aware of that, but I promised to see this to the end." The figure turned the knob, bright light illuminating the whole scene...

* * *

"Rosette Maryanne Christopher!" a woman's voice cried.

The said girl quickly sat up straight, her eyes wide. She mentally groaned when she saw she had fallen asleep in class again. Sister Kristy was sure to have a fit.

"This is the fourth time you have fallen asleep! Keep this up and-"

"Yeah. Yeah. I know," Rosette said, tossing her long blonde hair behind her shoulder. She smiled when the bell had rung and quickly left the class before her teacher could continue scolding her. Rosette carried her books in her arms, wondering about her dream. She had gotten further in it than last time, but all it did was open the door to more questions rather than answering them. She stopped in her thoughts once she had reached her dorm. She opened the door then closed it behind her, glad that she was the only one in there at the moment.

Rosette went over to the mirror and frowned. She was incredibly short for someone who was sixteen by her standards. True, she had grown a few inches taller over the summer, but not enough to notice any real difference. She sighed and placed her hand over her necklace, which seemed to be an old fashioned clock. Her brother, before he had died, had always said she should get rid of it, but she refused to do so. For some reason, she felt attached to it.

Rosette shook her head and changed into her long white gown. She lied down on her bed then covered herself, taking her necklace off and placing it beside her. She yawned and closed her eyes, soon drifting to sleep...

* * *

The two shadow figures entered the room, it also being void of light. Slithering could be heard as well as small squeaks from rats, occasional glowing red eyes being seen.

"Eeewww, this place is disgusting," the girl's voice said.

There was a short pause before the boy's voice said, "I agree."

Laughter than rang out through the room...

* * *

Rosette woke up sleepily; looking out the window to see the sun had risen. She groaned and kicked off the covers. Afterwards, she got out of bed and got dressed, putting on her school uniform.

Her uniform was compromised of a buttoned up white t-shirt, navy blue mini skirt, black dress shoes, and ankle socks.

Rosette put her necklace back around her neck then brushed her hair, pulling some of it back into a semi ponytail and tying it back with a navy blue bow. She smiled and picked up her books, heading to class after she had finished getting ready. She took her seat once she had arrived in class and began speaking with her friends.

"Have any of you guys seen the new guy yet?" her red head friend, Claries, asked.

"No. But I hear he's sooo cute!" the brown head, April, squealed.

"I heard he's a demon," the blonde head, May, whispered.

Rosette raised an eyebrow. _A demon? But this is a religious boarding school. Why would they let a demon in?_

The teacher, Sister June, entered the classroom, everyone taking his or her seats. "Class, as some of you have heard..." She paused, watching the students that had been still talking. They quickly became silent and she continued. "We have a new student."

A boy entered the classroom, seeming to be no older than Rosette and her classmates. His gaze was upon the floor, his long wild violet hair cascading down his shoulders and turning into a long braid that ended at his knees being tied off with a red hair tie. He wore a red coat that seemed too big for him as well as a white buttoned up t-shirt, red baggy shorts, black pants underneath his shorts, black boots, and a magenta sweatband that was wrapped around his forehead.

Rosette watched the boy with her questioning blue eyes, wondering why he wasn't wearing his school uniform or if he even had one. Her eyes widened when his red eyes met hers, his eyes widening as well. Despite the chattering that began to go on once more, it seemed as though time had stopped and silence had taken control of the room to the two.

_He looks so familiar, but I just can't tell why,_ Rosette thought.

_It's her. But it can't be! It's impossible!_ the boy thought.

The two hardly even registered June telling the class that the boy was named Chrno nor the fact that she had told the boy to take his seat.

"Ahem, Mr. Chrno, I'm sure you and Miss Rosette can stare at each other after class," Sister June said.

Chrno blushed out of embarrassment and smiled apologetically, taking his seat near the windows, three rows and five desks away from Rosette.

Rosette also blushed and looked away, pretending to take notes as Sister June began to lecture about the causes of World War I. She sighed and turned her attention to Chrno, seeing him gazing out the window. _Chrno... That name sounds so familiar._ She ripped out a piece of paper from her binder and quickly wrote something on it then folded it and began passing it.

Chrno looked at the folded paper plainly when it had reached him. He was about to pass it on when he saw whom it was from. He looked up to see Rosette smiling. Chrno gave her a questioning look then opened the note up.

Hey. Welcome to Albie High. I'm Rosette in case you weren't paying attention. Talk to you after class?

Chrno looked towards Rosette before he wrote her back, passing the folded paper back.

Rosette smiled happily once she had gotten it. Her smile disappeared instantly as a frown took its place.

Thank you for the welcome. I'm Chrno. No, I will not speak to you after class. I have no intention of becoming friends with you or any of your human friends.

Rosette looked towards Chrno and gave him something between a glare and a questioning look before writing back.

Oh? And why is that, Sir Demon? You have something against humans? Is that why you're here now? Because this school is the only one that can ward off your powers? Or is it because you're planning on attacking this school in the future?

Chrno frowned when he had gotten the note back and wrote down his reply.

I have nothing against humans and, no, that is not why I am here. And I have no intention of attacking this school at all. Why I am here really is of no importance. Perhaps if you paid attention more in class, you would know the significance of my past. Unless, that is, they stopped telling the legend all so long ago that no one, but those who had witnessed the battle and are still living remember it. I believe that would only be me, but I'd rather not bring up such painful memories. Now, please, let me be. The sight of you only agonizes me.

Rosette blinked a few times and looked over at Chrno again. _He's so puzzling. Everything seems to bring up a new question the more I speak with him. And, yet, he's so mysterious. What happened in his past to make him feel so much pain? And just how old is he really? _She quickly replied.

You know, your writing is soooooooooooo tiny. I have to squint to even read what you're saying. Why does the very sight of me bring up your painful memories? Why won't you speak of them? What happened to make it so agonizing? And, no, I never heard a legend with the mention of your name, not even in my mythology class was there mention of a demon called Chrno.

Chrno read the note and sweatdropped from her first comment. His expression then changed to one of sorrow and seriousness as he wrote her back.

Uhhh... Heh. Is this better? You... Look so much like a very good friend of mine. It's too painful to speak of and I'd rather leave it at that. Can we just leave at that, please?

Rosette read the note and frowned when she saw he still hadn't answered her questions about his past. She sighed and shook her head. _Better I get him to talk in person. _She was about to write him back when June caught sight of the note and immediately read it much to Rosette's dismay.

June raised an eyebrow then threw the note away. "Miss Rosette, I would like to speak with you after class."  
"But-" Rosette protested.

"No buts, young lady," June said firmly.

Rosette growled and stood up. "Why am I being punished?! What about Chrno?! He was the one writing me back!"

"Rosette, sit down," June said sternly.

"Not until I know why he's so special!" Rosette cried. Truthfully, she was used to getting in trouble and actually would rather Chrno didn't, but she wanted answers and if no one else would give them to her, she would force it out of them.

"Rosette Maryanne Christopher! Sit or I will send you to the headmistress!" June commanded.

"I won't sit until I have been answered!" Rosette cried.

June was about to warn her one more time when Chrno's voice broke in.

"It's okay, Sister," Chrno said quietly, his gaze meeting Rosette's before looking away. "She is right and as such, I deserve to be punished as well."

June fell silent and closed her eyes, letting out a breath to calm herself. She opened her blue eyes and nodded. "Very well. I will see you both after class." She walked up in front of the class, her red violet hair bouncing in motion with her. She picked up the history book and slightly moved her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She then began reading from the text once more as Chrno took his seat.

Rosette sat down as well and gave Chrno yet another questioning gaze. It seemed the boy was just full of surprises and she had a feeling she wasn't even on the cherry on top of the ice cream.

* * *

Rosette let out a dreaded sigh as the class finally ended and went up to her teacher, Chrno standing beside her. She placed her hands behind her head. "Well?"

Chrno looked towards Rosette and smiled sadly then shook his head, looking away. This caused Rosette to become even more puzzled about the boy.

"Rosette, I honestly did not wish to speak of this and in front of Chrno, too," June said, giving Rosette a disapproving look. "You will regret your actions after you hear what I am about to say."

Chrno sat down on a desktop and watched the two silently.

June began pacing back and forth. "Rosette, about eighty-four years ago, there was a great battle between the Sinners, their leader Aion, and the Magdalene Order. The whole history in itself is quite long, but there were two people within the Order that helped us in victory to save the world from certain destruction. The battles which had occurred and ultimately lead to that night all our fates would be decided were brutal, many dying and getting hurt in the process of making it that far. That night, the two heroes whom we knew could put an end to this bloody war between demons and humankind went in for the final the battle against Aion.

"For the past few months, Aion had been collecting the Apostles. We knew not why, but we had found out to our horror what he intended when we had found out what it was. We were too late to stop him, but we still held onto hope of defeating him.

"Aion had used the Apostles' astral energy to gain more power. He became quite a formidable and deadly foe. Not that he wasn't before, but he was far more destructive now.

"The two we knew who could and did defeat Aion and save the world was Chrno and a girl who looked very similar to you. The reverend, head mistress, and the rest of us thought it to be a coincidence. But it is far too likely to be a coincidence. She looked exactly like you. Acted just like you. You were even the same age as her when her brother had gone missing and joined this school. Rosette, that girl that had gone in to fight by Chrno's side was a girl that was exactly like you with the same name, attitude, age, and looks as you.

"Chrno hasn't paid a visit to this school in quite a while ever since... That incident. It is one we all wish to forget, but with you constantly questioning him over it, we will never be able to do so. You are to no longer bother Chrno with your questions about a past that should have been forgotten. Am I clear?"

Rosette looked away and didn't respond.

"Am I clear?!" June demanded, becoming irritated with the teenager's stubborn attitude.

Rosette glared at the Sister, but stayed silent.

June sighed in exasperation. "Rosette, promise me you will no longer speak of this."

"I will not promise something I cannot keep," Rosette said then left the classroom before Sister June could say another word.

June sighed deeply and sat down at her desk, sinking deeply in her chair from exhaustion. She smiled apologetically at Chrno. "I am deeply sorry, but she is very willful and stubborn."

Chrno smiled weakly. "It's fine." He stood up and placed his hands in his pockets as he left the classroom.

* * *

Rosette growled in frustration and kicked her trunk. She was within her room and extremely frustrated. June hadn't exactly answered all her questions and only rose even more and she was growing intensely annoyed with it all since no one would give her a straight answer. She wondered many things now such as why the girl was a complete copy of herself, what had happened to the girl, why she looked like that girl, what had happened in the battle with Aion, why Aion wanted to use the Astral Line through the Apostles to gain power, and so much more.

Rosette sighed in irritation and lied flat on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was bad enough her dreams were plaguing her with questions. Ever since she had met Chrno, she had only gotten even more questions. And after what the teacher had said, she was even more questionable. She absolutely hated it! Her questions were gathering into a pile while her answers only seemed to be like two pieces of paper lying down on a dusty desk. She yawned and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep...

* * *

"I see you have arrived. I have been waiting for this for quite a long time," a voice said.

The two shadowed figures were revealed from the illuminating light. One was a girl that looked exactly like Rosette and was holding out her gun, pointed at the owner of the voice. The other was a boy that looked exactly like Chrno. The owner of the voice stepped forward, the shadows no longer hiding him as well.

The owner of the voice happened to be a demon with long white hair and violet eyes. He wore a white suit and had wings coming out from his back. He grinned as Chrno growled and stood protectively in front of the girl.

All three of them were speaking, but no words seemed to come out as though the scene was a show and someone had muted the television. After exchanging words for some time, the Chrno and Rosette look-alikes began attacking the white head man...

* * *

"Grrrrr! Rosette! Wake up, you lazy bum!" a girl's voice cried out.

Rosette groaned and rolled over onto her side. "Ten more minutes."

"Rosette! Get up or I'll throttle you!" the girl cried.

Rosette growled and glared daggers at the one who had woken her up. It was none other than her best friend, Mia. She frowned and threw her pillow at her best friend's face. She then smirked. "I see you've returned from your exorcise." Rosette got out of bed and straightened her clothes.

Mia blinked her red eyes as the pillow fell from her face. She then frowned and crossed her arms. It was then that Rosette noticed her best friend's choice of new wardrobe.

Mia's long ebony hair was tied up in a high ponytail, it being held by a red bow. She wore a black sweater, white button up t-shirt, red mini skirt, knee high white socks, and black dress shoes.

Rosette raised an eyebrow. "Got tired of the school uniform?"

Mia sighed, seeming to be quite bored. "Yes! Do you know how irritating it feels to wear dark colors all the time?!"

"It's not totally dark," Rosette interrupted. One of the reasons she and Mia were best friends was because they could relate to one another and had almost the exact personality. They would be mistaken for sisters if it weren't for their appearances.

Mia's long black hair that reached her knees greatly contrasted to Rosette's long blonde hair that only reached her waist. Mia also was a good foot taller than Rosette.

There was also the fact that, though their personalities were almost the same, they also had many differences. Mia usually had her nose stuck in a poetry book or romance novel, Rosette normally read stories of adventures or didn't read at all. Mia was into mystery movies; Rosette was into action movies. Rosette was normally always cheerful and determined; Mia, though her personality was quite cheerful, she wasn't always exactly like Rosette as she couldn't keep up her cheerful disposition or keep her determination up for long; when those time arose, Mia was normally alone and writing poetry that explained her feelings and why she was in that certain mood. Writing poetry had always soothed Mia and seemed to get her emotions off her chest.

"That's beyond the point!" Mia protested.

Rosette frowned. "You had a bad exorcise, didn't you?"

Mia sighed and looked down at the ground. "Yes." She sat down. "The demon got away, but... It took the Apostle with him."

Rosette's eyes widened as she thought back to what Sister June had said.

Flashback

"For the past few months, Aion had been collecting the Apostles. We knew not why, but we had found out to our horror what he intended when we had found out what it was. We were too late to stop him, but we still held onto hope of defeating him.

"Aion had used the Apostles' astral energy to gain more power. He became quite a formidable and deadly foe. Not that he wasn't before, but he was far more destructive now."

End Flashback

"Were you able to find out who the demon worked for or the reason why he was taking the Apostle?" Rosette asked, fear, concern, and something equal to excitement beginning to fill her body. She would finally have an adventure just like she always dreamed of. She would travel the world, fight evil, be the heroine, meet a cute guy that would be the hero to help her fight off evil, it would be exactly in like in those movies and books she always watched and read.

Mia sighed deeply and shook her head. "No. I did not."

Rosette frowned again and shook her head. "Well, it can't be helped for now." She then grinned a bit evilly. "Want to go see the new guy? I'm sure we can find him easily. He looks like the type to hang out in libraries and read all the time." Her expression turned to a sadden one, her memories going back to her brother.

Flashback

Rosette walked into the room, the fireplace glowing brightly from its flames. She grinned a bit evilly and quietly snuck up behind her brother, Joshua, whom had been caught up in one of his books. She loomed behind him and was about to place her hands over his eyes when his voice stopped her.

"Hey, Sis," Joshua said, not looking at her, his full attention on the book.

Rosette growled and kicked a nearby teddy bear out of frustration. She sat down in front of her little brother, watching him curiously. "What are you reading?"

"Romeo and Juliet," Joshua replied.

Rosette made a disgusted expression. "I can't believe you're into that lovey-dovey stuff. It's all stupid if you ask me."

"Which I'm not going to," Joshua said, lowering his book and smiling. "You don't appreciate true literature."  
Rosette gave him a look, but fell silent as she turned her attention to the flames...

End Flashback

"Sure," Mia said, smiling slightly, her voice breaking Rosette out of her thoughts.

Rosette smiled and grabbed Mia's hand. "Then let's go!" She ran off towards whatever direction she believed Chrno to be in.

* * *

So, what did you think? This is my first Chrno Crusade fic and I've never seen the anime nor read the manga so all this is either being made up as I go or coming off what I found and heard about it. sighs I really need to go out and buy the manga so I can get more background into the story. It'll help greatly in the next chapters to come. Anyways, please review and tell me what you think. Thanks in advance. 


	2. Contract Renewed

**Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning**

**By:**

**Guardian Angel of Innocence**

**Chapter Two: Contract Renewed**

Chrno was, just as Rosette had expected, in the library. He was searching for a certain book, a book that either was no longer within the library or just was no longer put into the computer systems due to its age. A frown came upon his lips due to the fact he was having such a hard time locating the item. He sighed in exasperation. Chrno wasn't one to give up, but it _was_ a library. There were many books lining the walls. The shelves seemed to go to no end. The one item he was searching for was like searching for a needle through a haystack. He frowned and shook his head, finally coming to the conclusion there was no need to search further. The item was, after all, very old and would either have been so worn and torn that it was no longer of existence or, due to its age, it was kept in a secret cabinet that held all books that had grown worn with age.

Chrno sighed and shook his head. He highly doubted the librarian would lend it to him since, as Sister June had demonstrated, everyone actually had no memory or tried to have no memory of him and Rosette and the events that took place so many years ago. He supposed they rather no one know of demons all together and that they were just mythological, all a part of one's imagination. Too bad he was living proof of that "fictional" creature.

"Looking for something?" a voice asked, interrupting Chrno from his thoughts.

Chrno looked in the direction the voice had come, mentally scolding himself for not noticing anyone within the library. He was somewhat startled when he saw Rosette in front of him, smirking slightly. Beside her stood a girl he didn't recognize.

"Sooooooooooo, you're Chrno, huh?" the girl, Mia, asked. She went up to him and placed her hand on his chest, her face just inches from his. "I must admit, you are a cutey." She winked.

Chrno began to blush from Mia's closeness and comment.

Rosette rolled her eyes and grabbed Mia back by the collar of her shirt. "Down, girl. You just met the guy. Don't scare him half to death." She smirked slightly.

Mia pouted and muttered, "Well, he is and I couldn't help it." She smiled and winked again, Chrno turning a bit redder.

Rosette rolled her eyes again and sat down at a table, ushering for the two to do the same. Mia sat down happily, dragging Chrno down with her and hanging onto his arm tightly. Rosette sweatdropped while Chrno continued blushing.

Rosette frowned and got up then made her best friend release the boy, sitting down in between them. Mia glared at her then pouted afterwards. Chrno let out a sigh of relief and gave Rosette a thankful smile, Rosette returning it.

Chrno's eyes then widened when he spotted a very familiar object hanging around Rosette's neck, scolding himself for not noticing it earlier. "Where did you get that?"

Rosette blinked a few times and looked down at the clock. "This?" She turned her gaze back to Chrno. "It's... An heirloom. The only thing I have left of my family." She smiled sadly.

Chrno's expression changed to one of sympathy and understanding. He nodded. "I see..." It seemed that just like the previous Rosette, this on had no family. _This has to be far more than a coincidence,_ Chrno thought.

"So, what are you searching for?" Rosette asked, changing the topic so that silence no longer ruled over them.

"A... historical reference," Chrno replied.

Rosette groaned. She absolutely hated history. At least that basic history Sister June taught. The type she had mentioned about Aion, though, had greatly interested her. She leaned over and whispered to Mia, "Can you leave Chrno and me alone to talk? It's important."

Mia looked a bit shocked. She then smirked, her eyes holding a glint Rosette didn't like a bit. "Ahhhh. I see." She stood up. "Well, I'll be leaving you two to do your thing." She winked.

Rosette grabbed a few nearby books, growling furiously as she threw them at her best friend.

Mia yelped and quickly ran away.

Chrno sweatdropped and shook his head. It was official; this girl might as well be an exact clone of the Rosette he knew so long ago.

Rosette calmed down and sat down next to Chrno once again. She smiled. "Come on." She took his hand and began leading him somewhere before he could do or say anything.

Chrno smiled warmly feeling like he was with the Rosette he knew so long ago. He shook his head, reminding himself that this wasn't that same Rosette.

Rosette came to a halt in front of a door.

Chrno watched the door curiously. His eyes then widened in realization and he let out a heavy sigh.

Rosette gave the boy a questioning look then turned the knob, entering the room. She released Chrno's hand, crossing her arms.

Chrno looked around the room. He smiled sadly as many memories began to fill his mind. This room had been Rosette's. He remembered the many times he had snuck away from the Elder to visit her. Chrno smirked slightly.

Rosette watched Chrno as he admired the items within the room. It hadn't changed a bit and was obviously taken care of very well. None of the items within the room looked old or worn from age. Everything looked exactly as it had before the Rosette Chrno knew had died.

Rosette sighed slightly. She was tempted to ask him more about that night, but decided against it since now wasn't a good time. She stepped outside onto the balcony, her elbows against the railing so that she was resting her head in her hands as she gazed around the scenery. After a few minutes, a familiar presence stood beside her, his hands on the railing and gaze upon the starry night sky.

Rosette smiled and placed her hand over his. Chrno looked at her a bit shocked by her action then a smile slowly made its way across his face.

"I'm tired," Rosette said and yawned.

Chrno chuckled then turned his attention to the old watch around Rosette's neck. He had completely forgotten about it until now. "Rosette?"

"Hmm?" Rosette gave him a questioning look.

Unlike the Rosette Chrno had known this one was shorter than her making it so that this Rosette was at eye level with him, him only being an inch or two taller than her.

"I don't mean to bring up any bad memories, but what happened to the rest of your family?" Chrno asked.

Rosette looked away. "Mom and Dad died when I was five. They were killed in a shootout. I only had my four-year-old brother afterwards. But when I was twelve, four years ago, Joshua died. He was killed in a... an airplane crash. At least that's what the stupid people said." She kicked the railing then crossed her arms. "He didn't deserve such a terrible death..."

Chrno nodded, his expression filled with sorrow and understanding again. "But... Why the necklace?"

Rosette turned her attention to Chrno. She sighed and shook her head. "My parents were Apostles."

Chrno's eyes widened as several questions shot through his mind at once. He shook his head and realized she was changing the subject again. "Rosette, do you realize what this..." He pointed at her necklace. "Does?"

Rosette growled slightly, Sister Kristy and Reverend Maxwell asking her that same exact thing when she had first come four years ago. "Yes, I am fully aware of that, however..." Their eyes met, hers filled with determination and his holding concern. "I haven't even made a contract so don't worry about it."

Chrno eyed the watch. "It was made for me so that I was able to use my powers."

"Do you want to use them again?" Rosette asked softly.

Chrno looked towards her, his eyes wide. He shook his head. It was happening again. Why did history have to repeat itself? "I'd rather not..."

"I'm strong," Rosette said firmly.

_I won't have it happen again,_ Chrno thought. "I don't want to."

"How will you protect me then?" Rosette asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Whoever said I would?" Chrno asked.

Rosette was about to reply to that when something sticky found its way around her ankle and pulled her downwards.

Rosette yelped and grabbed onto whatever was nearest to save herself from falling down. Unfortunately, her hand caught nothing as she continued to descend downwards.

Chrno caught the young nun in his arms. Rosette's eyes widened when she saw the newly transformed Chrno. His ears had become more pointed, black devil wings came out from his back, three red jewels were upon his forehead, he had gotten taller, his hair now reached his shoulders, something like a long skeletal tail came out from all his hair and reached his feet, his claws were now visible, his eyes were now golden, and his body was far more muscular than before.

Rosette turned crimson when she found she was staring at him, though, Chrno didn't seem to notice. Chrno was holding her close to him protectively and his gaze was upon the one that had dragged Rosette to the ground.

Rosette hadn't noticed it until now, but she saw that Chrno had cut whatever it was that had wrapped around her ankle with his claws. She also noticed that Chrno's feet were now touching the ground. She shook her head and turned her attention to their opponent.

Standing in front of the two was a girl spider demon. The upper portion of her body was that of a human or so it seemed. The upper portion consisted of a human abdomen, chest, arms, neck, and head. A pair of pointed ears much like Chrno's was sticking out on the sides of her head. A pair of small horns was also on her head, two jewels being on her forehead. At the ends of her hands of what were supposed to be fingernails, were claws. The girl's upper portion had long flowing orange hair that came to a stop once it reached the bottom portion of her body. Her eyes were yellow green. She wore a white vest and watched them both intently. The bottom portion of her body was that of a spider's head and body. The head had no eyes, but it did have a mouth with two fangs being visible.

Chrno and Rosette continued watching the demon, awaiting it to make its move. It looked and seemed very familiar, but, at the same time, it was also very unfamiliar.

The girl smirked and said in a very cold voice, "It is nice to finally meet you, Chrno, but I am not here for you. I am only here for the girl. She is of great importance."

"Back off," Rosette said, though, she couldn't exactly do anything to defend herself other than stay exactly where she was. She sighed. _Note to self: Bring gun next time even if I'm only at headquarters._

_That would have been a good idea,_ Chrno's voice told her.

Rosette looked up at Chrno then mentally scolded herself. _Darn it! I forgot he could do that!_

Chrno grinned slightly then turned his attention back to the girl. "Who are you and why do you want her?"

The girl continued smirking. "I am Arachnia and I want the girl because my master wishes for her." She looked towards Rosette. "You might be happy to come with me, darling. I believe you will find someone very precious there."

Rosette gave her a puzzled look then shook her head. "There's no one that is precious to me any longer. Everyone I held dear is no longer of existence." _Except for maybe one..._ She shook her head.

Chrno looked down at Rosette and raised an eyebrow then turned his attention back to Arachnia. He couldn't do much other than defend Rosette and even that wouldn't last long since his energy was beginning to come to the point where he would have to change back into his smaller form. He sighed as his mind went back to what Rosette had asked earlier. Just how would he protect her?

"Chrno...?" Rosette questioned quietly.

Chrno looked back down at Rosette and felt his heart fill with pain. He knew what she was going to say and he found that wouldn't be able to convince her out of it. _Please, no. I don't want to lose someone else. _"Yes...?"

Rosette held up her watch, her eyes pleading with him to understand. "We have to use it. Even if it does make my life shorter, I'm willing to do it. We have no other choice."

"No. There must be another way," Chrno said

"Chrno, we have to..." Rosette said softly.

"If you two are done speaking..." Arachnia said, interrupting the two. "I'd like to receive my prey now." She held her hands out and shot webbing towards them.

Chrno quickly jumped to the side, the web missing him, but then it began following him. He cursed and began running away from the webbing. His energy began decreasing dramatically and he felt that he was soon to transform into his smaller form. If that happened, he didn't want to think of what would happen.

Rosette hid her face in his chest as she wrapped her arms around his neck. _We have to. There's no other choice._

"There's always a choice," Chrno said as the web began to catch up with them, but he continued to run.

Rosette looked up at him, glaring at him. "Chrno, we have to." She grabbed out his blade that had been sheathed at his side.

Chrno's eyes widened. "What are you-"

Rosette used the blade to cut her wrist then held her bleeding wrist up to Chrno's lips, her eyes pleading for him to make the contract.

Chrno sighed in defeat as he continued to run. He used one arm to continue holding her up then slightly drank some of the blood, licking the wound afterwards to help it heal faster. The contract had been made. He ran over to the side and placed her down then turned his attention to Arachnia.

Rosette had winced slightly when Chrno had drank her blood and blushed as well as smiled a bit warmly when he had licked her cut. She watched the two then placed a hand over her watch, opening it so that Chrno could use his powers.

"Arachnia, you really should leave or I will have to hurt you," Chrno said calmly.

"Not bloody likely, Chrno," Arachnia sneered then charged after him.

Chrno kept where he was as he watched Arachnia approach him.

"Stop right now, Spiderwoman, or I'll shoot!" a girl's voice cried out.

Arachnia stopped and turned her attention in the direction the voice came from, Rosette and Chrno doing the same. Mia stood there pointing a gun at Arachnia, two people standing beside her.

One of them was an older woman who looked to be the age of thirty or forty. She wore the typical nun outfit, had brown eyes, and wore glasses. Her arms were crossed, a cross necklace hanging around her neck.

The other was at least the age of twenty. He had blonde hair and brown eyes. He was quite handsome. He wore a blue formal military style buttoned up shirt and a white buttoned up shirt beneath that. He also wore blue formal pants, black dress shoes, white gloves, and held out a blade, a blade that Chrno instantly recognized.

"Mia! Sister Kristy! Reverend Maxwell!" Rosette cried out happily.

Chrno watched Arachnia.

Arachnia growled. "This isn't over." She disappeared.

"Rosette! Are you okay?!" Mia cried as she ran over to her best friend.

Rosette nodded and closed her watch hoping no one had seen it open, not wanting anyone to find out about the contract. "I'm fine."

"Your wrist!" Mia cried out and held it up. "It's been cut!"

Rosette sweatdropped and took her wrist away from Mia. "It's no big deal. I'll live."

"Rosette, do you know why that demon came here?" Maxwell asked.

Sister Kristy nodded to Maxwell's question.

"Umm... She..."

"Was after me. She's one of the Sinners. Though, she is not from the group I once knew. I am guessing she is an offspring of one of them," Chrno said as he turned back to his smaller form.

Rosette looked towards Chrno, giving him yet another questioning look. Now he was lying and that lie was being said to Sister Kristy and Reverend Maxwell!

"I see," Sister Kristy said and nodded. "Why don't you two get some rest? It has been a long night. Chrno, you can stay in Rosette's room. The... One that is no longer of existence."

Rosette frowned and shook her head then went to her dorm, Mia following her.

* * *

The Rosette look-alike shot her gun several times, the bullets being the Sacred ones. Chrno, now being in his form Rosette had seen earlier when Arachnia tried kidnapping her, clawed and slashed at the white head man. The white head man dodged each of their attacks then flew back a bit, holding out his hands, palms faced towards the two. White energy began forming in both of his hands. He then shot it out from his hands towards the two. The Chrno look-alike cried out something, but the speaking was once again muted.

He quickly flew over to the girl and picked her up in his arms, holding her close to him as the blast hit him. Rosette let out a cry as the two crashed into the floor. The girl's face immediately filled with concern as she tried to see if Chrno was all right. She glared at the white head man as he flew towards them. She held her gun pointed towards him and began yelling, tears streaking down her cheeks. The white head man looked at her dully and shot a blast at the gun causing it to fall out of the girl's hands and fly far away from where she was.

Rosette continued glaring at the white head man as feathered wings sprouted from out of her back. She unsheathed Chrno's blade and flew towards the white head man. The man smirked, obviously amused by this...

* * *

Rosette woke up, sweat going down her face. She shook her head and sat up, her white gown being drenched from her sweat. She shook her head again and got up, leaving the dorms knowing no one would know as it was one in the morning and everyone was sound asleep. She walked down the halls quietly then stopped in front of a door. She slowly and silently opened the door, entering the room as she slowly and quietly closed the door behind her.

Rosette went over to the sleeping figure on the bed and looked down at it questioningly. She smiled slightly. The sleeping figure was none other than Chrno and, to her, in his sleep he looked like an innocent angel. Her smile was replaced by a smirk. Too bad he wasn't.

"Couldn't sleep?" a voice asked.

Rosette's eyes widened as she saw Chrno's red eyes open, looking up at her. "You're awake?!"

Chrno sat up and smirked slightly. "I know you. You would have tried to scare the hell out of me if I had fallen asleep."

"How did you know?!" Rosette demanded, pointing a very threatening finger at his chest.

Chrno continued smiling. "Sometimes history repeats itself." His smile disappeared as he looked down at his hands.

"Look, I might look like that girl you knew, act like her, have too much in common with her, and so on and so forth, but I'm not her," Rosette said determinedly.

"Why was Arachnia after you?" Chrno asked, looking back at her, his face filled with determination.

Rosette's eyes widened slightly, taken aback by the question since she hadn't expected him to ask about it. "I, errr... Really have no clue."

"You said your parents were Apostles," Chrno said calmly. "Was your brother also one?"

"Huh? Ummm... Chrno, maybe I should tell you about my family," Rosette said and sat down next to him. "My parents were Apostles and stuff, yeah. I have no idea about Joshua. But... The reason for my name and maybe everything else is because I'm the great granddaughter of..." She looked at him. "Two people you knew very well, Azmaria and Joshua Christopher. That's whom my parents named us after. They named us after Joshua and Rosette."

"You're a descendent?" Chrno asked, his eyes slightly widening.

Rosette nodded. "I found this..." She held her necklace up. "When I was cleaning the garage to our home just the day before our parents had died. It had been kept hidden in the boxes underneath all that old clothes and stuff. Joshua said I should sell it at the garage sell we were going to hold, but I refused to and I'm glad I did. I kept it hidden from my parents since I knew they had hidden it for a reason.

"I found out why the following day when I was still cleaning the garage and found a pile of old dusty books. Most of them were really lame to me so I just gave them to Joshua so he could decide rather to sell them or not. I continued to read through a few pages here and there to find out if they were interesting or not.

"After going through about twenty books, I finally came upon one that greatly interested me. It had a lot of information about the Apostles and stuff, but I found out about the contract in that book. I didn't really read much in it, just skipped pages unless I found something that interested me. Guess I should have read the whole thing then I would have more insight on what happened... eighty-four years ago."

"They didn't want you to go through a similar fate, you or your brother," Chrno said, looking away. He was now upset at himself for giving in to making the contract with Rosette, especially now that he knew about Rosette's family. He closed his eyes. _I'm sorry Az, Joshua. Please forgive me._

"Give me a break. I'm not going down without a fight," Rosette said determinedly. "And, besides..." She smirked slightly. I'm sure there's a reason Arachnia was after me and I don't think it's because I'm related to your old friends."

Chrno opened his eyes and looked at her.

"I've never done anything actually special, but..." She crossed her arms. "Maybe I still have to discover those special powers, ne?"

"Are you saying you might be an Apostle?" Chrno asked. If that was the case, he feared he would regret even more that he had made the contract since Apostles normally were weak and got sick easily. To add slowly draining life from them was even worse. Though... He looked at her curiously. The girl didn't seem to be weak at all nor did she seem to become tired in anyway.

"Maybe," Rosette said, shrugging. "But don't go giving me the special treatment just because of that. I'm no different than you or anyone else."

Chrno was about to object about that, but decided against it, shaking his head. "Rosette, you should have told me this sooner."

"Why? So you could continue refusing to make the contract? I think not," Rosette said. She lied down. "Hey, Chrno?"

Chrno looked down at her. "Yes?"

Rosette placed her hands behind her head, staring up at the ceiling. "That night... What really happened?" She looked towards him.

Chrno stayed silent and lied down on his side, his back to her. "Go to sleep, Rosette."

"But you didn't answer me!" Rosette protested.

"'Night, Rosette," Chrno said, closing his eyes. It was obvious he was avoiding the question.

Rosette sighed in defeat. She got up slightly and kissed Chrno on the cheek, smiling a bit warmly. "Goodnight, Chrno. Hope you have sweet dreams." She lied back down and rolled to her side, her back to him. Little did she know that her kiss had caused Chrno to smile.

* * *

Hee, hee. So, what did you think? Took up 7 and 1/4 pages. Lol. Longer than the first chapter, though, ne? Anyway, hoped you enjoyed it and please review it. Thank you very much in advance.


	3. Rosette's Hidden Powers

**Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning**

**By:**

**Guardian Angel of Innocence**

**Chapter Three: Rosette's Hidden Powers**

Angel Rosette swung her blade down vertically at the white head man. The man quickly unsheathed his blade and held it up just in time to cause the sword to clash. The man smirked slightly while Rosette glared into his eyes. The two exchanged a few words then the man quickly sent a kick towards the girl's stomach. Rosette was flown back quite a bit, but she stopped herself soon enough then charged after the white head man again...

* * *

Rosette smiled, feeling quite comfortable where she was. She scooted closer to the warm figure next to her. She felt an arm drape over her shoulder and opened her eyes. Her eyes widened as she began blushing. She was resting her head on Chrno's chest and was extremely close to him. His arm was draped over her shoulder while her own arm was resting against his chest.

Rosette slowly looked up to see Chrno was still asleep, his breathing coming and going slowly. She smiled and grinned a bit evilly. She slowly went up until her face was near his. Her grin disappeared when she saw his peaceful expression.

_Grrrr. Not fair! He cheated because of that face of his!_ Rosette thought.

Chrno smirked slightly and opened his eyes. "Heh. At least I win."

"You do not. Cheating doesn't count," Rosette said, also smirking.

"I didn't cheat," Chrno defended himself.

"Did, too."

"Did not."

"Too."

"Not."

"Too!"

"Not!"

"TOO!"

"NOT!"

Rosette growled and Chrno immediately knew he was in trouble. Chrno tried to get up and make a run for it, but Rosette pushed him back down then got up and sat down on his stomach, pinning his wrists down.

"You're not getting away that easily," Rosette said, grinning evilly again.

"Go, Rosette!" a voice cried.

Rosette and Chrno both looked towards the direction the voice came to see Mia.

Mia smirked and crossed her arms. "Didn't think you guys would actually go that far after just meeting each other."

Chrno and Rosette both began to blush furiously.

Rosette got up and began charging towards her best friend. Mia's eyes widened and she turned around, making her get away.

Chrno chuckled slightly then got out of bed. He had only slept in his black sweatpants. He got out his usual clothes and put them on. He walked out of the room and sweatdropped when he saw Rosette grabbing and throwing whatever item reached her hand at Mia. Mia continued running, screaming.

"You hentai!" Rosette cried and threw a vase at Mia.

Mia yelped and ducked just in time, the vase hitting the wall and shattering. She spotted Chrno and quickly hid behind him. "I was just teasing, Rosette! I didn't mean it! Honestly!"

Rosette approached the two. She was about to move Chrno out of the way when a voice interrupted her.

"What is going on here?!" the voice demanded.

Chrno, Rosette, and Mia turned their attention towards the one who had spoken to see Sister Kristy watching the three of them disapprovingly with her arms crossed.

"Umm... Eh-heh. Well, you see..." Rosette began, scratching the back of her head while sweatdropping and laughing nervously. "Mia, umm, said something rather... perverted so I went to teach her a lesson."

"Rosette, where were you last night?" Sister Kristy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rosette blinked a few times, her eyes widening. _Darn it! I forgot about the stupid those stupid night checks! _"I was in the cafeteria getting a snack and milk then I had to go to the bathroom then I had tripped and cut my wrist again so I went to clean the cut and get a Band-Aid then I was going up the stairs and lost my footing and hit my head hard so I got an icepack and kept it over the bump for a really long time and, by then, I wasn't sleepy anymore so I just walked around for about two hours then I went to Chrno's room since the sun was going to rise soon and I wanted to wake him." She smirked slightly. "Then the sun had rose after about thirty minutes and so I went to perform my duty, but Chrno ruined that because the guy had woken up so I talked to him for a while then Mia came and said something rude and I went to teach her a lesson and now we're here."

"Your tale is very far fetched, Miss Rosette," Sister Kristy said, her eyes narrowing.

"But it is true," Chrno lied. "I could hear her all night."

"I bet you could," Mia whispered and smirked.

Chrno began blushing.

Sister Kristy watched the three then walked pass them.

Rosette, Chrno, and Mia all let out a sigh of relief.

"She reminds me of Sister Kate," Chrno said.

"She's scary," Mia said.

"She just needs a boyfriend to loosen her up," Rosette said smirking.

Chrno shook his head and the three went downstairs to eat breakfast.

* * *

"Class, due to the rising of demons, we will not only be learning about the history of humans, but demons as well," Sister June said as she paced back and forth in front of the class. "Starting in the beginning of the 1900's..."

Rosette blinked a few times. _Rising of demons?_ She looked in Chrno's direction.

Chrno sat down at his desk, taking notes of what Sister June was saying even though he already knew all of it. He felt someone watching him and looked up to meet Rosette's questioning gaze. He raised an eyebrow.

_The population of demons is rising? Do you know why?_ Rosette thought, knowing he could hear her.

Chrno shook his head. _No, I have no clue as to why. Do you want to investigate it?_

Rosette nodded then smiled. _You bet I do!_

Chrno chuckled then quickly became silent, remembering they were in class still.

Rosette turned around and began writing. Of course, she wasn't writing down what Sister June was saying, and, instead, was writing down possibilities of why the demon population was raising and the solutions to solving it.

* * *

"Seriously?!" Mia asked, her eyes widening.

Rosette nodded. "Yeah."

"Wow. You think we would have noticed. You know, since we live in New York and all," Mia said.

"Apparently they haven't become a problem yet," Chrno said, crossing his arms.

"I'm guessing there's a big ol' demon destroying their homes and stuff so the solution is to go to Pandemonium and kick some demon butt," Rosette said smirking.

Chrno sweatdropped. "I doubt that's the case, Rosette. If it was just one demon, they all could have easily defeated it if they worked together."

"I know! There's a bazillion dust bunnies from the planet Grucasalum and they've come to take over Pandemonium by making everyone eat onions and liver and making them drink lemon lime juice without sugar or ice!" Mia cried out excitedly.

Chrno and Rosette both sweatdropped.

"Any demon could easily defeat a 'dust bunny', Mia," Rosette said.

"And demons don't even have to eat," Chrno said.

"I was just stating a possibility!" Mia cried. "No need to make snide comments about it! Hmph!" She crossed her arms and turned her back to them.

Chrno and Rosette both let out a sigh and shook their heads.

"Maybe it's..." Rosette looked at Chrno. "Aion?"

Chrno's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head, his gaze falling to the ground as his hands turned to fists. "Rosette and I killed him a long time ago."

"Maybe he had a son?" Mia asked.

"Or there's a really bad plague there and it's killing off everyone," Rosette said, her expression changing to one of concern.

Chrno shook his head. "The only way to know is if one of us went there."

"Then let's go," Rosette said, crossing her arms. "All three of us together."

"The Apostles are being kidnapped, too," Mia said.

"That's right!" Rosette said.

"We can't go," Chrno said quietly.

"Why not?" Rosette asked.

"The portal to that world from here was closed after Aion's death," Chrno said. "I knew someone who could take us, but she's dead now."

"We can't give up," Rosette said determinedly.

"We can if it's impossible to even accomplish," Mia said.

"And it's not," Rosette said, her eyes lit up.

Chrno gave her a questioning expression. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

"This," Rosette said and smiled as she grabbed Chrno's hand and began running off.

"Hey! What about me?!" Mia cried and ran after the two.

* * *

Sister Kristy gazed out the window and sighed. She turned around to face Reverend Maxwell. "Are you sure now is the right time?"

Maxwell nodded. "She needs to go out into the world, Kristy. We can't protect her forever."

"Yes, I know, but with the demon population on the rise and Apostles going missing, I'm just not so sure," Kristy said softly.

"She has Chrno to protect her," Maxwell said.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Kristy said and sat down at her desk. "She has the watch still, Maxwell. What if she agrees to be Chrno's contractor?"

Reverend Maxwell fell silent and sat down. "She is stubborn and would eventually convince Chrno into it. That is..." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "To say if he hasn't already given in."

"My God!" Sister Kristy cried, her eyes widening.

Kristy and Maxwell exchanged glances then got up and went off in search of Chrno and Rosette.

* * *

"Tell me why we're here again," Chrno said as he looked around the dusty cobweb room.

The three were within the Elder's house. Apparently it hadn't been taken care of after the Elder's death. Everything was old and worn with age, a lot of the items being rusted.

"Quit your complaining. I'm sure the Elder has something around here we can use," Rosette said, looking through the boxes.

"I doubt it," Chrno muttered.

Mia screamed and the two quickly ran to her side.

"What is it?!" Rosette cried.

Chrno looked around, his hand upon the hilt of his blade.

"That guy was such a pervert!" Mia cried and threw the box she had been searching through.

Chrno and Rosette exchanged puzzled glances then looked through the box. Chrno turned a deep shade of red while Rosette's eyebrow began to twitch.

"THAT HENTAI!!!!" Rosette screamed.

Chrno sweatdropped and gently placed a hand on Rosette's shoulder. "Calm down, Rosette. No use getting angry over the past. The guy _is_ dead now."

Rosette sighed and nodded then continued looking around the room after giving the dirty box one last glare.

"Here you two are," a voice said.

Rosette, Chrno, and Mia stopped what they were doing and looked in the direction the voice had come to see Sister Kristy and Reverend Maxwell.

"Heh. Heh. Sorry to worry you," Rosette said sweatdropping and scratching the back of her head.

"Chrno, Rosette, we have to talk," Kristy said firmly.

"It is highly important," Maxwell said. "Mia, I suggest you return to your dorm and complete your homework."

"Of course," Mia said and left the house.

Sister Kristy and Reverend Maxwell left the room, Chrno and Rosette following them.

* * *

"Before we start, I would like to know the reason you were within the Elder's house," Sister Kristy said.

Kristy, Maxwell, Rosette, and Chrno were within Kristy's office. Kristy was sitting at her desk, Rosette and Chrno sitting across from her. Reverend Maxwell was standing beside Sister Kristy.

"We were looking for something," Rosette said.

"And what would that be?" Maxwell asked.

"An item that would help us get to Pandemonium," Chrno replied quietly.

"Pandemonium?! Why would you want to go there?!" Kristy asked with wide eyes.

"To find out the reason why the demon population is growing and put an end to it," Rosette said determinedly.

Maxwell shook his head then slightly smiled. "I see."

"Now we start. Rosette, Chrno, have you two formed a contract with one another?" Sister Kristy asked, her expression turning to a grim one.

Rosette and Chrno exchanged glances then turned their attention back to the two.

"No. What would give you that idea?" Rosette said calmly.

"Do not lie," Sister Kristy said firmly.

"The cut on your wrist is proof that you two made the contract," Reverend Maxwell said.

"What?! Now wait a minute!" Rosette cried and stood up. "I didn't cut myself on purpose and Chrno didn't wound me! I got the cut from Arachnia!"

"That is a lie, Rosette Maryanne Christopher!" Sister Kristy said. "I am quite sure Arachnia did not have a sword nor got close to wounding you even if she did have one."

Rosette was now at a lost of what to say and settled for just fixing the two with a glare as she sat back down.

"Now, if you will, I want the truth. Why did you two form the contract?" Sister Kristy said.

"Because I insisted on it," Rosette muttered. "Chrno needs to be able to use his powers for the trials up ahead."

Kristy and Maxwell exchanged glances then looked back towards the two.

"Trials, you say? What sort of 'trials'?" Reverend Maxwell asked.

"Trials that will lead us to our destiny," Rosette said.

Chrno gave Rosette a puzzled look while Maxwell and Kristy exchanged glances once again. They both nodded and turned their attention back to the two.

"You are dismissed," Sister Kristy said.

Chrno and Rosette nodded, getting up and leaving the room. The two walked down the hall, Rosette with her hands behind her head and Chrno with his hands in his pockets.

"Rosette?" Chrno asked quietly.

"Hmm?" Rosette asked, slowing down until she was walking next to Chrno.

"What did you mean by 'trials that will lead us to our destiny'?" Chrno asked, gazing into her blue eyes.

"Umm, well..." Rosette blushed and looked away from his red eyes, fidgeting with the end of her shirt. "To tell you the truth, I have no idea. Seemed like the right thing to say at the time." She shrugged and looked back at him, smiling, her blush still slightly visible.

Chrno sweatdropped and shook his head as he looked up ahead. He went into deep thought as he went through what had happened the past few days. He gave Rosette a questioning look, her hands behind her head once again. If she were an apostle, could it be that she was also partly a reincarnation of the Rosette he had known as well as the girl before her, Magdalene? Did she have the ability to see the future and didn't know it? There were so many things that he was beginning to wonder about this girl. The similarity between both Rosettes was astonishing and now that he knew they were related, it did explain it very well. But it also brought up more questions. "Maybe we should try to see if you have powers, Rosette."

Rosette turned her attention back to Chrno. "What do you suggest?"

Chrno smirked slightly. "Want to go for a walk in the city? If the demon population is rising then the demons are soon to show their true nature sooner or later."

Rosette returned the smirk and nodded. "Okay. But to my room first!"

Chrno let out a cry as Rosette grabbed his hand and began running in the direction of her room. The two came to a halt once they had arrived there. Rosette released Chrno and went over to her bed, picking up two pair of guns. She strapped each of them to her thighs then went over to Chrno.

"Now we can go," Rosette said.

Chrno nodded, slightly blushing when he noticed for the first time just how incredibly short Rosette's skirt was. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of certain thoughts that ran through his head.

Rosette frowned as she looked in his direction. "Are you going to stand there all day or am I going to have to drag you by the ear?" She crossed her arms.

Chrno blushed embarrassingly only causing his cheeks to redden since he was still blushing from his realization about Rosette's attire. "Sorry, Rosette." He ran up to her side and the two headed into the city.

* * *

"Wow! Look at all these neat-o things!" Rosette cried, glancing through window after window.

Chrno sweatdropped as he watched her then smiled slightly, shaking his head.

"Ooooohhhhh! We have to go here!" Rosette said excitedly and grabbed Chrno's hand, leading him into a store. She quickly ran up to the glass table that displayed many guns beneath it.

Chrno sighed and shook his head. "Rosette, your weapons are ten times stronger than these."

"But they're so shiny and cool and-and-and-yeah!" Rosette said and pressed her face against the glass.

Chrno and the storeowner sweatdropped.

"Rosette," Chrno said warningly, gently taking her hand. "Let's go. We can't test your powers with you over here goggling over useless weapons."

Rosette groaned and nodded, allowing Chrno to now lead her through the city.

The two continued to walk around the city, Rosette still awing every once in a while. The two turned a corner and walked down a very dark alley. Rosette did trust Chrno, but she also knew what happened down in dark alleys, which caused her to grab onto Chrno's arm a bit more tightly than what she had actually wanted. Chrno looked down at her and saw her fearful expression. He wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him, trying to reassure her. Rosette looked up at him and blushed while also giving him a smile.

"Don't worry. If it doesn't work, I'll be here to protect you," Chrno whispered in her ear. Even if it did work, he would still be there to protect her. He wouldn't allow anyone to harm her if he could help it.

Rosette continued smiling and nodded, whispering, "Thank you, Chrno."

"Now what do we have here?" a voice asked.

Rosette placed a hand over one of her guns out of reflex, getting ready to draw it just in case. Chrno unconsciously drew Rosette closer to him as he looked around for the source of the voice. The two only saw darkness and no sign of the one that had spoken.

"It seems to be an Apostle with a demon. How odd. Or has the demon brought the holy one here to deprive her of light?" the voice said.

Rosette's eyes widened and she looked towards Chrno, their eyes meeting. He was clearly just as surprised as she was.

_Weird. She never seems to become weak,_ Chrno thought. _Most Apostles usually are very weak and vulnerable to disease. Why isn't she?_

_I'm an Apostle?! _Rosette thought. _I've never even used those powers before!_

"Oh! I must be interrupting. Perhaps that is why the demon has not tainted the Apostle's soul," the voice continued. "Then again, why do we not enjoy the pleasure together, demon?"

Rosette shivered and tightened her grip in Chrno's arm. Chrno growled and continued to look around, holding Rosette even closer if at all possible.

"I'm not doing anything having to do with you!" Chrno cried.

"Ohhhh! So the demon would prefer to have his precious Apostle all to himself. I see," the voice said. "Very selfish, I must say, demon."

Chrno's eyes narrowed. "This Apostle is my best friend and I will not allow you or anyone else to harm her."

Rosette smiled and released Chrno's arm. "Just in case, Chrno, you might want to let me go. I don't want to hurt you." Her expression changed to one of concern.

"Just do it, Rosette," Chrno said, not releasing her. He wasn't going to be releasing her until he caught sight of the one speaking, being sure that it would be safe of him to do so.

"I might kill you!" Rosette hissed.

"Your powers aren't strong enough to inflict that much damage yet, Rosette. I'll be fine," Chrno said and gave her a smile. "Now try your powers."

Rosette sighed and shook her head. _It is SO his fault if I hurt him._

Chrno smirked slightly when he heard her thoughts and looked around for the owner of the voice once more.

Rosette held her hands out in front of herself, palms facing outwards. Her eyes slightly narrowed and she tried to use the powers she felt hidden deeply within her soul. Slowly, white energy began forming around her, her hair slightly floating up, but not to the point that it would give her hair the look of a super saiyan.

Chrno winced slightly from the holy power surrounding her, but shook his head since it seemed like nothing more than just the feeling of someone pinching you at the moment.

"Hmm? What is this? Is the Apostle using her powers? I hope not. It would mean the end of my existence," the voice said.

Chrno sweatdropped. He really didn't think Rosette was powerful enough to use her powers to their full extent yet, but he kept silent. After hearing what the voice had said earlier, he really didn't care if the creature died or became deathly scared of something that most likely would only leave a scratch upon the thing.

A ball of white energy began to form within Rosette's hands, slowly becoming bigger. She closed her eyes and let out a breath.

Chrno watched her, his face filled with concern as well as puzzlement. If she were just tapping into her powers now, would she become weakened and vulnerable to illness later on each time she used her powers? It seemed the Apostles he knew had always been like that, of course, by the time he had met them, they were able to use their powers whenever they wished. His eyes slightly narrowed. If she did become weakened, her life would most likely become even shorter than it already was going to be. Chrno watched the closed clock and felt an ache in his heart. He didn't want to lose someone he was close to once again. He began to mentally scold himself for giving in to Rosette's stubbornness. If he hadn't, if he had known, he wouldn't have to deal with the consequences.

The energy ball soon became the size of a basketball. Rosette opened her eyes, the light vanishing most of the darkness, the owner of the voice being visible.

The demon's large yellow eyes widened as he fell from the side of the wall, falling to the ground. The creature took slow steps backward, watching the energy.

Chrno felt Rosette's holy aura become stronger which caused the pain to slightly increase, but it still wasn't enough to send him death. Small burn marks began to form upon his arm and side as well as the side of his face. He knew Rosette was going to yell at him after this, but, at the moment, he didn't care.

Rosette watched the demon in front of her and Chrno. "I must punish you. I know what you wanted done to me and I can only hope you did not deliver the same fate to other innocent girls. This is the punishment you shall receive." She shot the energy ball from her hands.

The demon began making a run for it, but the energy had hit him soon enough causing him to disintegrate to nothing but dust.

Rosette lowered her hands as the aura left her, her hair falling back down to her waist. She looked towards Chrno and gave him a smile. Her smile quickly disappeared, though, when she saw the burns. Chrno had given her a weak smile in return, but it had been replaced by fear when he saw that Rosette had noticed his wounds. He released her and took a step back, holding his hands up defensively. Rosette growled as her hands turned to fists, her blue eyes glaring at him. Chrno began making a run for it, Rosette running after him soon after throwing any objects that came in contact with her hands.

* * *

Rosette's an Apostle! Dun, dun, dun! What will happen in the next chapter? Will Chrno be able to survive Rosette's wrath? What exactly _is_ going on in Pandemonium? And just how will our heroes make it there? All this and more revealed in the next chapter, or chapters. Lol. "" really isn't sure And please review this and I hope you all are enjoying it so far. Thank you in advance.


	4. Into Pandmonium We Go!

**Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning**

**By:**

**Guardian Angel of Innocence**

**Chapter Four: Into Pandemonium We Go!**

Chrno groaned as the nurse bandaged his wounds he had received from Rosette after she had discovered his burns. The burns were healing, but were still slightly visible. His wounds from Rosette were also slowly healing, but they still hurt a whole lot. The vase to the head might have been a little too far since it had cut him across the forehead after it had shattered. He shook his head and mentally noted to never get Rosette angry. Once the nurse was done tending to his wounds, she left him to do as he pleased. Chrno stood up and left the hospital room, placing his hands in his pockets as he walked down the hall.

"Looks like Rosette dealt you a number," a voice said teasingly.

Chrno turned around to see Mia. He smiled in greeting, sometimes feeling as though the black haired girl was a cat demon. "Hello, Mia. Nice to see you."

Mia jumped off the railing and stood beside Chrno. "That's why you're supposed to not get her angry. I thought you would have learned after the last incident." She winked.

Chrno blushed then shook his head.

"You knooooooow, I think you should go see Rosette," Mia said as she grinned a bit evilly from seeing his blush. "I'm sure she'd appreciate it. She was pretty worried from the burns you received."

Chrno blinked a few times then nodded. "I'll do that."

Mia's lips were between a smirk and a smile. "Okay. See you later!" She ran off in the opposite direction of him.

Chrno smiled slightly then went in the direction of Rosette's room. He slowly opened and closed the door behind him once he had entered and went over to Rosette to see she was asleep. He gently placed a few strands of her hair behind her ear causing her to slightly smile, but she remained unconscious. It was then that Chrno had noticed her face was tearstained as he sniffed the air, smelling salt water.

_Was she crying? Over my sake? Or was it something else?_ Chrno thought. _I'll ask her when she wakes up._

* * *

The white head man grinned as Rosette charged after him again. His gaze wasn't on her, though, but seemed to be behind her. On the ground was Chrno sitting up and watching the scene with wide eyes. Rosette stopped and looked towards Chrno, smiling slightly. The white head man used this to his advantage and grabbed out an energy sword. Rosette quickly spun around, but she was too late. The man had stabbed her through the heart. Rosette winced as her angelic wings disappeared and she began to fall down towards the ground rapidly. Chrno quickly flew after her and caught her just in time before she hit the ground. Chrno and Rosette exchanged a few words as tears ran down Chrno's cheeks. The two kissed then Rosette closed her eyes, dead. Chrno set her lifeless body down and looked down at the ground, his hands in fists and bangs covering his expression. Chrno said a few things, which seemed to amuse the man then charged after the man, holding his blade ready to strike...

* * *

Rosette felt someone's finger tracing her jaw line and smiled slightly. Though, her smile vanished once her thoughts went to her dream. She placed her hand over whomever it was that was tracing her jaw line hand and opened her eyes to see Chrno smiling gently down at her, sitting next to her. She blinked a few times as tears filled her eyes and quickly sat up, hugging him. Chrno looked down at her, taken aback by this, but hugged her back. Rosette began to cry.

"Rosette... What is it? What's wrong?" Chrno asked, concern evident in his face. He held her closer to him as he rubbed her back, trying to soothe her.

"I'm so sorry, Chrno," Rosette said in between sobs.

"Sorry for what?" Chrno asked. _Is she feeling guilty for attacking me after I got those burns? Or is she feeling guilty about me getting the burns?_

Rosette sobbed even harder while Chrno could only watch her helplessly.

"Rosette, I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong," Chrno said, trying to make her stop crying.

Rosette continued sobbing, but eventually came to the point where her crying was just small sniffles. She slowly looked up at Chrno. "I... I saw it. I saw all of it."

Chrno wiped away the tears and gently tilted her chin so that she was looking into his eyes. "Saw what?"

New tears formed with Rosette's eyes and threatened to come down again, but she did her best to hold them back. "The... The girl and her... her..."

Chrno gave her a questioning look. "Girl? And her what?"

Rosette's tears began going down her cheeks once again and Chrno wiped each of them away.

"The girl... That you were with when... When you guys fought Aion," Rosette said and began sobbing again.

Chrno's eyes widened. "What?! How?!"

"I saw her die, Chrno! I saw Aion kill her!" Rosette cried out in between sobs.

Chrno drew Rosette close to him again and began running his hands through her hair. "It's okay. Shhh." Despite him trying to comfort her, he couldn't help but feel a deep ache in his heart as he remembered that night.

"Oi! I meant go make her happy and stuff, not make her cry," a voice said.

Chrno looked towards the direction the voice came to see Mia. He weakly smiled. "Umm... Sorry?"

Rosette continued crying and shook her head. She stopped her sobbing despite the tears that threatened to come down again and quickly wiped them away. She looked towards Mia and smiled a bit weakly as well. "It wasn't his fault, Mia." She stood up and looked up at her hair, frowning. "I'm such a mess."

Mia giggled slightly then smirked. "I knew you would be after he came in." Her smile and smirk disappeared. "But I didn't have you looking like a mess in this kind of situation in mind."

Rosette shook her head and smiled again. "I was just crying over a meaningless dream. Nothing to worry about."

Chrno gave Rosette a surprised look as his thoughts went back to the fact that she was an Apostle. He knew Magdalene could see the future, but did she also have the ability to see the past? If she did then he knew exactly whose powers Rosette had.

"Umm... Guys, unless you're going to turn around and not peek, shouldn't you leave so I can change?" Rosette asked then smirked slightly.

"Hey! I'm not a hentai! And my door doesn't swing that way, thank you very much!" Mia cried out and left the room.

Rosette giggled slightly then looked towards Chrno. "What about you?" She smirked.

Chrno turned a deep shade of red and shook his head. "Umm... I'll meet you outside." He quickly left the room, closing the door behind him.

Rosette came out of the room several minutes later dressed in light blue caprice and a white tank top, her hair in two pigtails tied off with white ribbons. She also wore light blue tennis shoes and white socks. She had a pair of guns strapped to her hips on a brown belt. She crossed her arms as she watched Chrno and Mia. "So, who's ready to go to Pandemonium and kick some demon butt?"

Chrno raised an eyebrow; he was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "What are you talking about? There's no way we can get there."

Mia nodded. "What he said." She was sitting on the railing again.

Rosette rolled her eyes then smirked. "Ahh, but there is. Sister Kristy had a friend of hers create a portal for us."

Mia's eyes slightly widened as her lips changed to a smirk. "Okay. I'm up for battle, but..." She looked down at her clothes. "I'm not exactly dressed for the occasion yet. Be right back." She ran off into her room.

"Rosette, when I use my powers, you may feel weaken at the time. It's highly important you stay close to Mia or me so one of us can protect you since you may not be able to put up much of a fight," Chrno said, his expression serious.

"I'll be fine. Quit your worrying," Rosette said.

Mia joined them after several minutes had gone by. She now wore a red long sleeve shirt, black shoulder pads, black elbow pads, black armor over her chest, red pants, black knee pads, red gloves that had black steel spikes where the knuckles were, and black boots. A katana was sheathed at her left side along with a whip while she had a pair of guns on her right. Mia smirked slightly as she crossed her arms. "Now I'm ready to kick some demon butt." She looked towards Chrno and raised an eyebrow. "You going to fight in that?"

Chrno nodded and looked towards Rosette. "Lead the way."

Rosette nodded and smiled. "Follow me, Team Exterminators!"

Chrno and Mia both sweatdropped at the name and shook their heads, sighing.

The three of them eventually came outside where a large crowd had formed. Rosette mainly pushed her way through the crowd to get to the center of attention while Chrno and Mia apologized or excused themselves. Once they had arrived in the center, Mia and Chrno's eyes widened in awe while Rosette smirked.

In the center was a large ring with strange symbols going around it. From the ring was a ramp that led up to it. Wires were hooked to the back of the ring and went up to a laptop.

Sister Kristy and Reverend Maxwell stood beside a girl none of them had seen before.

The girl had short curly blue hair that reached her shoulders and deep green eyes. She wore hot pink t-shirt, white mini skirt, glasses, and brown boots that almost reached her knees. She was the one holding the laptop. She looked to be the age of twelve or thirteen.

Maxwell, Kristy, and the girl turned their attention to Chrno, Rosette, and Mia.

The girl stood up and went over to them, holding out her hand. "Hi! I'm Tracie Hamilton, the proud inventor of this dimensional portal."

The three shook her hand, each introducing themselves.

"Dude, how old are you?" Mia asked as she gawked at the ring once more.

"Twelve, soon to be thirteen," Tracie said as she brought her glasses up a bit on the bridge of her nose.

"I hereby deem you Super Genius," Mia said, still gawking.

"It hasn't been proven to work successfully just yet," Sister Kristy said. "When you three enter it, come quickly back of there are any problems. Am I clear?" She eyed Rosette, Chrno, and Mia.

"As clear as glass," Mia said and saluted.

Chrno nodded.

"As clear as they get," Rosette muttered and rolled her eyes then looked down at Tracie's laptop. "Well, open it already."

Tracie looked towards Kristy and Maxwell. They both nodded and she began typing codes into the laptop, which sent Rosette's head spinning since she understood none of it.

"Once you've found the problem, report back to us. We don't want to send you three in there to handle the problem on your own, especially since there are certain circumstances that could lead to failure," Reverend Maxwell said, looking at Chrno and Rosette mostly meaning what he said to those two.

Chrno nodded, knowing exactly what Maxwell meant.

Rosette rolled her eyes. "We'll be fine." She then smirked. "Besides, what do you get when you have an Apostle, a Sinner, and a human working together?"

_Rosette, Chrno, and Azmaria,_ Maxwell and Kristy both thought then said, "Trouble."

Chrno chuckled slightly to their thoughts and response towards the question then sighed as he looked to the sky. He missed the Rosette he knew so long ago as well as Azmaria. No. He missed everyone. He looked towards Sister Kristy, Reverend Maxwell, Mia, and Rosette then slightly smiled. He might miss them, but he did have new friends that reminded him so much of all of them and, yet, didn't as everyone of them were different somehow from his old friends.

"You guys seriously are no fun," Rosette said, placing her hands on her hips.

The inside of the ring began to glow light blue and the top center, left center, right center, and bottom center symbols began to glow red. The ring began to slowly turn counterclockwise.

Rosette, Chrno, and Mia watched, getting ready to leave.

The red glowing symbols soon began to glow aqua green as the ring began to rapidly spin clockwise, the inside of the ring beginning to glow a deep blood red.

"It's time for you to take your leave," Tracie said, still typing codes into her laptop.

Rosette, Chrno, and Mia all exchanged glances then nodded and walked up the ramp towards the ring.

"Be careful," Sister Kristy said.

"And don't forget to report back when you have found out anything," Reverend Maxwell said.

"We will. Quit your worrying," Rosette said, not turning to face either of them.

Chrno gave the two an apologetic smile as he continued to follow his best friend.

The three soon stepped into the inside of the ring and were brought into a spinning vortex, vibrant colors spinning around them rapidly. The three of them seemed to be floating in the air. Rosette flew up ahead, Chrno now being in the middle while Mia was behind the both of them. The vortex soon disappeared as gravity seemed to gently settle the three of them upon their feet.

"We're here," Chrno said as he looked behind himself to see the ring behind them, the inside of the ring glowing faintly blood red until the glow completely disappeared, more land of the world they were now within being visible.

The three of them looked around, all seeming to be in awe of the land before them. The ground beneath their feet seemed to be nothing but a deep chocolate brown dirt. Gray ruins of buildings were scattered around them. The sky was covered in darkness, no light being visible aside from the occasional strike of lightning. The air was thick and cold, freezing Rosette and Mia to the bone. There were oddly shaped mountains up ahead that seemed to glow red.

Rosette shivered slightly as she crossed her arms, trying to look as though she wasn't freezing while trying to keep her teeth from clattering. "Talk about... Dark and gloomy... This place needs... A new decorator..."

"It wasn't always like this," Chrno said as he looked around. "Apparently a lot has changed since I left."

"Duh," Rosette said. "Let's see... You left here about..." She began doing the math. "One hundred thirty-four years ago. Of course things are going to be different now!"

Chrno slightly smiled as he took a step forward. "Hopefully that means we'll get a warmer welcome." He turned to face Rosette and Mia. "Though, I still doubt it since once of you is an Apostle and the other is a human."

"Yeah. Yeah. We'll be fine for the bazillionth time," Rosette said and went up to Chrno's side. She looked at him, their eyes meeting. "I won't die so easily. I can protect myself." She placed her hand over the watch. "It's probably best you turn to your true form while we're here. The demons are most likely far more powerful then back in my world."

"Don't open it, Rosette," Chrno said. "I'll only transform when needed."

"Umm, guys, the welcome committee is here," Mia said as she took a step towards them.

Chrno and Rosette turned around to see a large group of demons.

Chrno's eyes scanned each of the demons' horns and jewels on their foreheads trying to see just what the three of them were dealing with. Most of the demons only had two or three jewels upon their forehead and had horns that were no bigger than the length from his shoulder to his elbow. His eyes slightly narrowed when he saw that there was a demon ahead of them with five jewels on his forehead and horns that were as long as his whole body. Chrno immediately guessed that the demon with the longer horns and most jewels on its forehead was the leader.

"Rosette, Mia, be careful. Most of these demons should be a piece of cake, but there are some that are as powerful as me," Chrno said, not taking his eyes off the leader. "And there's one far more powerful."

Rosette grabbed out one of her guns. "Don't worry about it, Chrno. But I really think we're going to need your true form in this battle."

"Only if needed," Chrno said. It was almost like the girl _wanted _her life energy to be taken. He shook his head and unsheathed his blade.

Mia grabbed out her whip and slapped the ground with it then got into a defensive stance.

"Why have you returned, traitor? And with a human and an Apostle, no less," the leader said, taking a step forward and flexing his claws.

"Why have the demons been leaving this realm?" Chrno asked.

"That is a matter that no longer concerns you," the demon said.

"It does if those demons start causing a ruckus," Rosette said.

"And if it's because of disease! Those demons could pass the illness onto humans! Or worse, to the Apostles and they're too weak to even fight it back! If the illness is killing you guys, imagine the devastation back in our world!" Mia cried.

"It's more than just a plague," the leader said. "But you three have the right to remain silent and anything said can and will be used against you to conclude your punishments."

"Not happening," Rosette said and aimed her gun.

"Over my dead body!" Mia cried out.

Chrno watched each of the demons as they began to charge after them.

Rosette began firing her sacred bullets, being sure to not hit Chrno in the process. Mia hit each demon that drew near her with her whip, leaving bloody marks upon them where the whip had hit flesh. Chrno cut each demon that came close to him as he searched through the army for the leader since he'd be the hardest to defeat out of the rest of the demons. Rosette jumped back from an attack and continued firing her gun. Mia wound the whip around at least three demons then threw them into the upcoming demons. Chrno jumped up onto the heads of the demons slashing each one down as he leaped from head to head in search of the leader.

Mia let out a yelp as one of the demons caught her whip and used it to pull her against them. She quickly unsheathed her blade and stabbed them in the heart. "No way are you going to kill me." She spun around and sent a horizontal slash towards the demon that had been behind her, cutting its head off.

Rosette jumped back as each demon tried to capture her or harm her. So far, they were having no luck. She continued firing her gun and rolled to the side just in time to dodge another blow.

Chrno continued leaping from head to head then landed on the ground once he had spotted the leader. He charged towards him. The demon watched Chrno. Chrno swung his blade horizontally, but the demon quickly jumped behind him causing Chrno to miss. The demon then sent a kick towards Chrno's back. Chrno had turned around just in time to block the attack with his blade. The two glared into each other's eyes.

Soon, the demon army was down to the point where the leader was the only one left. Rosette and Mia watched as the leader and Chrno fought off one another. Mia sat down, clearly exhausted. Rosette continued standing up and watched the scene. Mia had several cuts across her arms and legs, but nothing serious. Rosette had a few cuts on her arms and legs and one cut across the cheek. The two were both covered in blood, mostly Mia.

Chrno and the leader seemed to both be on the brink of exhaustion, but mostly Chrno since the demon was far more powerful than him. The two charged at one another, the demon sending a swipe at Chrno's head, but he had ducked and sent his blade in for a stab. The demon quickly jumped on top of the blade and ran down it then sent a kick towards Chrno's face. Chrno hadn't expected this and had gotten hit, crashing into the ground.

Rosette growled and pointed her gun at the demon. "Leave him alone or I'll shoot!"

The demon looked towards her. "In all my years, I've never seen such a strong and fiery Apostle."

"Well, get used to it because this Apostle isn't weak and doesn't stand for anyone hurting her friends!" Rosette cried and fired her gun.

The demon was struck by the sacred bullet, but didn't fall down dead. Rosette's eyes widened slightly and she continued to fire bullet after bullet at the demon but to no avail. The demon laughed and charged towards her. Mia weakly stood up and grabbed out her gun, firing it at the demon but also failing to do any serious damage to it. Chrno sat up weakly and watched as the demon charged towards Mia and Rosette, his eyes widening as the two girls tried holding the demon off but were obviously not prevailing in it.

"Rosette!" Chrno cried.

Rosette continued firing her gun and looked towards Chrno, their eyes meeting. She placed a hand over the watch and gave Chrno an apologetic smile as she opened it, allowing Chrno to use his powers. Chrno quickly turned into his true form and flew after the demon, tackling it to the ground before it could harm either of the girls. The demon's eyes widened and he quickly sent a kick towards Chrno's stomach. Chrno quickly grabbed the foot before it made contact with him then lifted the demon up, throwing it into a nearby dead tree.

Rosette sat down as she put her gun away, Mia sitting down next to her.

The demon quickly stood up and sent a powerful blast at Chrno. Chrno put his arm up to shield his face then lowered his arm. He charged after the demon then jumped up and sent a punch towards the demon, red energy surrounding his fist. Once Chrno's fist made contact with the demon's face, a blast formed within the punch causing the demon to fly back quite a bit, sending him crashing into the ruins.

Electricity slightly began to come off the watch. Rosette placed a hand over it as she continued to watch the two fight. She felt a bit weaker than she had been originally, but she shook her head telling herself it was just because she was tired.

The demon stood up and watched Chrno. It growled and charged after him, sending a punch towards him. Chrno ducked to dodge the punch, but he hadn't expected the demon to quickly bring his knee up connecting to Chrno's face. Chrno staggered back a bit then growled and picked up his blade, which had fallen to the ground after he had transformed, and threw it at the demon. The demon hadn't expected this and got stabbed through the heart. The demon fell to the ground, dead.

Chrno let out a breath and looked towards Rosette and Mia. He went over to the two girls and kneeled down beside Rosette, placing his hand on her shoulder gently, his face filling with concern. "Are you okay?"

Rosette nodded. "I'm fine." She smiled and closed the watch, Chrno turning back into his smaller form.

"You sure?" Chrno asked.

"I'm not a weakling," Rosette said as she stood up, Mia standing up as well. She began walking a bit. "See? Perfectly f-iiiiinnneee!" She fell forward, but Chrno quickly ran over to her and caught her in his arms before she hit the ground.

"Fine, huh?" Chrno asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rosette laughed a bit nervously then smiled a bit nervously as well as apologetically. "Guess the demons took more out of me than I thought."

Chrno sighed and shook his head, picking her up bridal style causing Rosette to blush slightly. "Come on. We have to find somewhere to rest up at."

Mia nodded in agreement. "But let's not forget your sword. We may need it later on." She winked then went over to the demon, taking the sword out then going over to Chrno and sheathing it for him.

Chrno nodded and smiled in gratitude. He and Mia then searched for cover.

* * *

Now that our heroes are within Pandemonium, will they discover the reason to the population rising on Earth? Will Rosette's dreams ever come to an end? Will our heroes find out what the demon leader meant by their problems being more than just a plague? How are the others doing on Earth? You'll just have to stay tune for the next chapter of Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning! And please review and tell me what you think of this so far. Thank you very much in advance. .


	5. Enter Mary Magdalene Christopher

**

* * *

**

Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning

**By:**

**Guardian Angel of Innocence**

**Chapter Five: Enter Mary Magdalene Christopher**

Chrno swung his blade down vertically, but the white head man, Aion, quickly blocked it with his energy blade. The two glared into each other's eyes.

"You shouldn't have betrayed me," Aion said. "Your little girlfriend could have lived longer."

"Shut up! You have no right to speak about her!" Chrno cried angrily.

"Yes. You are right. She is too weak and dishonorable to talk about," Aion said. "Whatever was I thinking?" He smirked slightly.

"Aion, shut the hell up!" Chrno shouted and quickly sent a kick towards the white haired demon's stomach, slashing at him horizontally afterwards.

Aion winced then glared at Chrno again. He grinned slightly. "Magdalene took you away from me the first time. Then this vixen came and repeated the same exact thing. Why don't you come with me now, Chrno? We will both work together again to bring freedom upon our race."

"I'll die before I ever agree to working with you again, Aion," Chrno sneered.

"Then I sadly, but gladly, will deliver that fate to you," Aion said then charged after Chrno, swinging his blade horizontally.

Chrno ducked and Aion kneed him in the face afterwards. Chrno staggered back a bit then held his blade up defensively...

* * *

Rosette groaned as something cold and wet hit her cheek. She weakly opened her eyes to see nothing but darkness. Her eyes grew wide as she sat up, instinctively groping the ground for any kind of weapon. She heard groaning next to her and began holding her hands out in front of her, trying to find out just who it was that was next to here and where she was. Eventually, her hands touched something that felt like braided hair. She let out a sigh of relief, knowing only one person with such a long braid. "Chrno?"

There was another groan and she heard the person next to her roll to their side. "What is it, Rosette?"

Rosette smiled and hugged Chrno tightly, but not too tightly. "Thank God."

Chrno blinked a few times, taken aback by her actions then hugged her back. "Have a nightmare?"

"No. More like a heart attack, well, close to it," Rosette whispered. "Had no idea where I was. It's too dark in here."

Chrno chuckled slightly and held Rosette closer to him causing her to blush. "Don't worry. I wouldn't let anyone even come close to kidnapping you. Sorry I scared you." He kissed her on the forehead causing her to turn even redder. He could see her just fine due to his unique demon vision. Of course, he had forgotten she wouldn't be able to which led him to wonder just how Mia could see so well in the darkness.

"Chrno?" Rosette questioned quietly.

"Yes?" Chrno asked.

"Is it all right if we, umm, stay like this?" Rosette asked, turning a deeper shade of red.

Chrno slightly blushed then smiled gently, understanding why she wanted to stay this close to him. "It's fine, Rose."

Rosette smiled at the nickname as Chrno rolled onto his back, her scooting closer to him resting her left arm and her head on his chest. Chrno wrapped his arm around her waist and closed his eyes.

"Good night, "Rosette," Chrno said quietly.

Rosette closed her eyes, listening to the rhythm of Chrno's heartbeat. "'Night, Chrno. Hope you have sweet dreams."

"You, too," Chrno said, a smile crossing his face.

* * *

"Chrno's returned," a small demon said, bowing in front of a throne, the figure sitting upon the chair hidden in the shadows.

"Has he?" the figure asked.

"Yes. And he's brought an Apostle and human with him," the small demon said.

"An Apostle?" the figure asked. "Interesting. I never thought Chrno would be fool enough to have one accompany him here. I see I was wrong. He's more foolish than I first took him. Have the Apostle kidnapped so they may join the rest of their kind that we have here. I do not care if you harm them, just don't bring them to the point of dying. We need them desperately."

The small demon nodded and turned to leave to give off the new orders.

"And do not forget to have Chrno killed. He does not deserve to survive after his betrayal," the figure said.

The small demon nodded again then left the throne room

The figure chuckled slightly then lifted up his wine glass to his lips, his blue eyes slightly lighting up. "A toast to the upcoming battles and victory that will soon be mine." He drank the wine. _We will soon meet again, Chrno._

* * *

"Oooooohhhhhhhh. What do we have here?" Mia asked teasingly, a smirk upon her face.

Rosette groaned and opened her eyes to see she and Chrno were in the same position they had fallen asleep in. She blushed when she heard Mia's comment and sat up, gently setting Chrno's hand on his chest. "It's not what you think."

"Uh-huh. And my name's not Mia," Mia said, still smirking.

Rosette gave her glare while still blushing then looked away. "Where are we anyway?"

"In a cave that Chrno and I found while you passed out, Miss I'm-Okay-But-I'm-Really-Not," Mia said as her smirk disappeared, her face holding concern. "You okay?"

"I said I was fine and I'm not going to repeat myself again," Rosette said.

"You think you two could keep your voices down to a whisper," a voice said.

Rosette and Mia both looked in the direction the voice came from to see Chrno had woken up and sitting up, smiling slightly.

"Some people are trying to sleep," Chrno said.

"Do demons even need sleep?" Mia questioned.

Rosette frowned and crossed her arms. "Rather they do or not, it's best they do. How else do they regain their energy?"

"The horns on their heads?" Mia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Does it look like he has horns?" Rosette asked and grabbed Chrno by the ear, pointing with her free hand at his head.

Chrno sweatdropped from her holding onto his pointed ear and tried to make hr let go, but the girl was very stubborn.

Mia scratched the back of her head while sweatdropping and laughing nervously. "No. I guess you're right."

Rosette released Chrno causing him to gently massage his ear, giving Rosette a hurt look. Rosette obviously hadn't noticed it and had crossed her arms. "Of course I'm right. I know more about demons than most people do."

Mia rolled her eyes and muttered, "Hard to believe since you never pay attention in class."

"I might not pay attention, but I do have my sources," Rosette said.

"Yeah. Yeah," Mia said and looked towards Chrno. "So where to?"

"I'd suggest Ending City, but I am not aware if it still exists or not," Chrno said. "It's one of the biggest cities within Pandemonium. We'll have to keep a low profile while there, but we'll get more information. Large cities normally hold much gossiping within them."

"Yeah. But we'll have to be careful not to get fact mixed up with lies, too. Not all gossips are true," Rosette said.

Chrno nodded in agreement.

"You know, that just takes the fun out of it," Mia said and pouted.

Chrno chuckled while Rosette smirked slightly.

"Maybe, but it's better than kicking the wrong bad guy's butt," Rosette said.

Chrno nodded in agreement with Rosette once again. "Far more better."

Mia sighed in defeat then shook her head. "Whatever. Anyways, lead the way, Chrno."

* * *

"Tell me again why I have to wear this?" Chrno whispered as he followed Mia and Rosette through the city. He was wearing a big dark blue trench coat, white buttoned up t-shirt, baggy blue pants, black shoes, dark blue finger gloves, dark blue sweatband that went around his forehead, a long white haired wig that reached his knees, what appeared to be brown furry ears sticking out from the sides of his head; his real ears being hidden by the wig, and fake nails shaped to appear as claws. "I look ridiculous!"

"Because we have to disguise ourselves. Duh!" Rosette whispered. She was wearing a white evening gown, white cape with gold trimming around it, a golden brooch that was shaped like a flower and connected her cape to her dress, white dress shoes that had rubies and emeralds near the tip of them shaped like a flower, a white hat that had flowers on the front top of it, a long red violet wig that reached her waist, red lipstick, light blue eye shadow, fake nails that were shaped to look like claws, and what looked like small white furry ears coming out from the sides of her head, the wig covering her real ears.

"Besides, if you look ridiculous, that would mean we look ridiculous," Mia hissed. She wore a red evening gown, red cape with gold trimming around it, a golden brooch that was embedded with rubies that was in the shape of a rose and connected her cape to her dress, black dress shoes that had rubies near the tip of it shaped in a rose as well, red hat that had roses on the front top of it, long baby pink wig that reached her elbows, fake nails that were shaped like claws, fake whiskers that were connected to her face by a type of clue Chrno had created that allowed the glue to be unseen once it had dried, small light brown pointy ears that were on top of her head being hidden by the hat her real ears being hidden by the wig, and a fake light brown tail that was underneath her gown.

Chrno frowned as he studied the two then muttered, "You two _do _look rather silly like that." He smirked slightly.

Rosette's eyebrow twitched slightly, but she let out a breath to calm herself and hissed, "Shut up, Chrno! You're going to ruin our cover!"

Chrno continued smirking but nodded.

The three entered a bar and sat down.

"Mia, remember to act all proper-like. I know it's really boring, but we have to," Rosette whispered.

Mia nodded and sat down at a table, Rosette and Chrno following suit.

"You know, I have heard rumors saying that our race has suddenly taken a liking to Earth. What does Earth have that we do not?" Rosette said rather loudly.

Mia and Chrno both raised an eyebrow, but caught on soon enough.

"I have heard those rumors as well," Mia said loudly. "If we had stayed better informed, perhaps we would have known the cause."

"I have heard these rumors as well," Chrno said a bit quietly. "Be it perhaps that Earth is far more superior in beauty?"

Rosette and Mia both sweatdropped then shook their heads.

"You mean that awful place? Why, it is covered with nothing but humans. Who would wish to go to such a desolate place?" Rosette said.

"Not me, that's for sure," Mia muttered. "Humans are downright filthy."

"The human race may cover most of the Earth, but it is quite easy to blend in with them. They are so busy oblivious in their own little world that no one would take much notice if one of us made a slight error," Chrno said.

_You're good at this, Chrno, _Rosette told him mentally. _Must be because of all those years that you lived, ne?_

_Yeah. But you're not so bad yourself, Rose, _Chrno told her and smiled slightly.

Rosette blushed from the nickname and quickly shook her head, trying to hide it. _I took acting classes when I was little. _

Chrno smirked slightly from the blush and nodded. _Ah. I see._

"Excuse me, but I could not help but overhear your conversation," a girl's voice said, interrupting Chrno and Rosette.

Mia, Chrno, and Rosette turned their attention towards the young small girl demon looking at them.

The small demon wore a dress that reached her knees; the ends of it being ripped while the ends of the sleeves were also ripped and it was covered in dry dirt and mud hiding its original color, her feet are bare and covered with bruises and dirt, she had long messy black hair that almost reached her feet, small black devil wings that came out from her back, three sapphire jewels on her forehead, and an x shaped scar on her left cheek. Her skin was a light tan while she had small pointed ears. Her violet eyes held something akin to sadness and hope.

_She's dressed in rags,_ Rosette thought and felt sympathy for the scrawny demon. She gulped, not being so sure she could speak so rudely to one such as her.

"And what would a lowly class demon such as yourself know of this situation?" Mia sneered.

Rosette and Chrno both gave Mia a surprised look then shook their heads knowing they were supposed to still be in character.

"I have heard the Lords and Ladies speaking of it when I was down in the alley searching for food," the tiny demon said.

_Food? Oooohhhhh. She must be a homeless orphan! _Rosette thought. "Eavesdropping is rather rude." She leaned forward a bit and whispered in the young girl's ear, "It could get you into a lot of trouble. I know how rough the higher rank demons can be when it comes to that stuff." She sat up straight and regained the posture of one who didn't care for people such as the little girl, but her eyes told a different story; holding concern and sympathy as well as understanding for her.

The little girl's eyes slightly widened and she nodded. "Yes. I know. But if you wish to know more, you must follow me where we can talk more secretly."

Rosette, Chrno, and Mia all exchanged glances and nodded.

"Then led us to where it is you intend to brief us," Rosette said, smiling as she stood up.

The young girl's eyes lit up and she quickly nodded, grabbing Rosette's hand and dragging her off quickly, Chrno and Mia following suit. The little girl ran pass the crowd, excusing herself and her three comrades as they ran through. She finally came to a stop when they all had arrived outside the city in front of some ruins.

Rosette looked around and smiled slightly when she saw that the sky above them was lit up, the sky finally being cleared of any clouds and the sun shining down upon the yellow green grass. "It's beautiful." The wind slightly blew by as she sat down on a boulder.

"Much more better than what we've seen so far," Mia said and sat down in the grass.

Chrno leaned against one of the ruins with his arms crossed. "What is your name, Little One?"

"Mary Magdalene Christopher," the girl said smiling.

_Mary Magdalene?!_ Chrno thought as his eyes widened.

_Christopher?!_ Rosette's eyes widened.

Mia nodded.

"Who are your parents?" Rosette asked.

Mary sat down. "My father is Aion. I don't know who my mother is."

"Aion?!" Mia, Rosette, and Chrno all chorused at once.

Mary nodded. "Yes. Aion. He had me adopted by the slaves a year after I was born. I suppose he was ashamed since I wasn't a full demon."

"Who was your mother?!" Chrno and Rosette both cried out.

Mia sweatdropped and shook her head.

Mary watched each of them then sighed. "My mother was Rosette. She's dead now."

Chrno and Rosette both exchanged glances. Chrno looked away and growled as his hands turned to fists, his gaze upon the ground.

"Chrno, be careful. You're going to cut yourself or something," Rosette said, remembering the fake nails. She growled in frustration and quickly took off her costume, her real clothes being underneath it. She quickly took the fake nails off then went up to Chrno and grabbed his hand gently, removing the fake claws.

Mia watched the two and smiled slightly.

Chrno watched Rosette and smiled slightly. Rosette caught his smile and returned it while also blushing slightly.

"How did your mother die?" Mia asked.

"Father killed her after I was born," Mary said. "He... Dad, umm... Raped her."

Rosette's eyes widened in horror as she looked towards Mary.

Chrno growled again and was about to take his hands away from Rosette so they could turn to fists once more, but she prevented him from doing so.

"Calm down, Chrno," Rosette said, her face filled with concern as she returned her attention to him. "I know how you feel, kind of. But you can't let your anger get the better of you." She placed a gentle hand on his cheek, her other still holding his hand.

Chrno gazed into her eyes then slowly nodded.

Rosette blushed when she noticed what she was doing and quickly looked away as she continued to remove the fake claws. This caused Chrno to smirk slightly even though she hadn't caught sight of it.

Mia nodded in understanding. "Why are all the demons coming to our world?"

"There is an illness going around that's killing all of us rapidly. Luckily, it hasn't reached our city yet. All the Apostles are being taken so they can cure us. But there's one missing. We need the last Apostle, but we don't know where they are," Mary explained. "The lord is Aion, but he is busy fighting a war against Lord Auron. Our forces have weakened because of the disease. Many more people are dying. And the plague is spreading faster before the blink of an eye."

"I see," Mia said as she got out of her costume. She smirked slightly. "Then let's cure the demon race and, umm... Find out who the bad guy in the war is then kick their butt."

Rosette finally removed all of the fake nails then helped Chrno out of his costume. She smiled slightly. _He was right. He did look rather silly in it. _She giggled.

_I heard that, _Chrno told her and smirked slightly.

Rosette stuck out her tongue as she removed the last parts of his costume. She then hugged him tightly, Chrno taken aback by it since he hadn't expected it. Chrno hugged her back.

_I'm sorry about what happened to my grandma, Chrno,_ Rosette thought as her expression filled with sadness. _I know she didn't deserve it._

Chrno's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked off towards the distance whispering, "It's not your fault."

Rosette looked up at him, her eyes filled with determination. "It's not yours either."

Mary shook her head and smiled.

Chrno sighed a bit then shook his head as he placed his hands gently on Rosette's shoulders, looking into her eyes. "It is my fault. If I had known she was still alive, I would have saved her."

"It's not your fault and you didn't know. It couldn't be helped. Besides..." Rosette looked away. "What happened if something had gone horribly wrong and you died while trying to save her?" She looked back towards Chrno, tears filling her eyes. "I wouldn't have met you if that had happened."

Chrno's eyes widened slightly and he wrapped his arms around her waist then drew her close to him, using one hand to run through her hair. "You're right. I'm sorry, Rose." He kissed her on the forehead causing her to blush, him smiling warmly down at her while she smiled back shyly.

"Hey, Mary, you don't have horns. How are you able to use your powers?" Mia said.

"Simple. You see, that necklace..." Mary ushered towards Rosette. "Was tweaked a bit by a friend of Grandma Azmaria and Grandpa Joshua. Don't ask me how they knew I existed and stuff. They just did. Anyways, they made it so that if Rosette, yes, Rosette, they knew Joshua wouldn't make a contract, formed a contract with Chrno, he would drain her life energy and all that good old stuff. While doing so, I would receive some of that Astral Energy as well. Or..." A bright light took the place of her and after it had vanished, Mary stood there much more taller, taller than Rosette and Chrno. Her ears had become more pointed and her eyes had changed to the color blue. She no longer wore the rags, but, instead, wore a white tight long sleeve shirt, black skirt that reached her feet, and black shoes. Her hair had become shorter, only reaching her shoulders, and a long skeletal tail could be seen coming out from all her hair.

Rosette sweatdropped then suddenly made a disgusted face. "Eeeewwww! That means I'm related to Aion! Gross!"

Chrno's eyes widened slightly at Rosette's comment. He closed his eyes and shook his head. _I have to protect Rosette, Joshua, and this girl, Mary. It's what Rosette, Joshua, and Azmaria would want. _He frowned as he opened his eyes. Why couldn't they at least have given Rosette and Joshua different names? It would help to sort out any confusion.

"Not really, Rosette," Mary said. "Though, I'm related to you and that would make us cousins, I think."

"I think that would be second cousins," Rosette said then shook her head.

"Whatever. Point is, you can't be related to Aion because, one, you don't have any of his blood flowing in you and, two, he never married Mom," Mary said.

"Rose, she's your first cousin and you're her second," Chrno said, smirking slightly.

"Oh! Be quiet, Mr. Know-It-All!" Rosette cried and stuck out her tongue at him.

Chrno chuckled slightly.

Mary smiled. "You guys make a cute couple."

Rosette and Chrno looked towards Mary then blushed crimson.

"Give me a break! I'm not even going out with him! And I don't like him that way!" Rosette cried and pointed her finger at Chrno.

"And-and..." Chrno frowned and crossed his arms, unable to come up with an explanation. "Well... What she said." He pointed his finger at Rosette.

Mary laughed then smiled. "Come on. We can stay at my place. Henry and the others are waiting for me to return anyways."

"Henry and the others?" Rosette questioned as she, Mia, and Chrno began to follow Mary.

"Oh. That's right," Mary said and looked towards the three, smirking slightly. "Welcome to Deadly Mafia."

* * *

So, what did you think? I wasn't aware that Magdalene's whole name included Mary in it until today so, of course, I had to slightly edit this chapter. Mary just came to me naturally for the girl's first name x.x But, anyways, hope you enjoyed and don't forget to review. I'll put up the next chapter as soon as I complete it. 


	6. The Kidnapping

**Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning**

**By:**

**Guardian Angel of Innocence**

**Chapter Six: The Kidnapping **

Rosette, Chrno, and Mia looked around in awe once they had arrived at Mary's home, which turned out to be the hideout for the gang Mary had and led.

"I'll see you three in a while. The meeting will be held in an hour. That will be in the basement. That's where you'll get to meet the rest of the crew," Mary said then walked off.

"Well, let's go claim our rooms first," Mia said and grinned then clung to Chrno's arm. "I get the room that Chrno's getting!"

Rosette's eyebrow began twitching while Chrno sweatdropped.

"Umm... Mia, I'd prefer a room all to myself," Chrno said.

"Yeah. I know," Mia said and released him while smirking. "A room all to yourself with Rosette, that is."

Rosette and Chrno turned crimson.

Rosette growled and picked up a pillow then threw it at Mia's face, striking her. "You hentai!"

"Heh. Heh. Couldn't help it. Not when you two blush so much around each other," Mia said and smirked again.

"I do not blush around him a lot!" Rosette cried out defensively.

"Give me a break. You two are so head over heels for each other," Mia said, rolling her eyes. "It's very obvious."

Mia's comment only caused the two to turn even redder and Rosette grabbed yet another pillow then threw it at Mia. Mia ducked this time causing the pillow to hit a vase making the vase tip over and break. The three shared wide-eyed expressions then quickly ran up the stairs before the broken vase could pin them at fault for breaking it.

Eventually, they all picked their rooms, finding out that there were only two. Mia had picked one all to herself and had said that Chrno and Rosette should share a room that way Rosette wouldn't always have to sneak out of the room to join Chrno in his room and doing things at night. This had earned her a very furious Rosette that instantly went into her killing mode, throwing whatever came in hand at Mia. The three had gotten in trouble by one of the demons that were in Mary's group. Chrno and Rosette reluctantly agreed to share a room since it "meant" the life or death of Mia. Once an hour had passed, the three went to the basement just as Mary had told them to do.

"Glad you could make it," Mary said. She and about four other demons were standing around a rectangular table.

Rosette, Chrno, and Mia picked their seats and stood in front of them, waiting for the others to sit.

"Before we begin today's meeting, introductions must be made starting with Henry," Mary said as she and everyone else sat down.

A tall and rather muscular demon stood up and nodded. He had messy brown hair, brown eyes, wore a white muscle shirt, forest green pants, black boots, horns that were at least a foot long, three green jewels on his forehead, and the skeletal tail, claws, and devil wings that every demon had when in their true form. "I am Henry Minamoto, Lady Mary's assistant and best friend." Despite how rough the demon looked, his voice didn't match his appearance. His voice was soft and gentle. Henry sat down as another demon stood up.

This demon was a female and had long messy hot pink hair that reached her waist and violet eyes. Her horns were about ten inches long and she had two pink jewels on her forehead. She wore purple lipstick as well as purple eye shadow. She also wore a opened black vest, a white t-shirt underneath it, black pants, black shoes, one spiked wrist band on each wrist, chains were connected to her pants, she had two piercings on each of her pointed ears, one on the earlobes and the other at the end of her ears, and had a nose ring. "I'm Cindy Brular. Don't mess with me unless you want to be messed up." She sat back down.

The next demon that stood up was male and had tanned skin as well as messy black hair that reached his shoulders and dark brown eyes. His horns were about eleven inches long and he had two white jewels on his forehead. He wore a backwards Dodgers baseball cap, white t-shirt that was way too big for him, baggy blue shorts that went pass his knees, white socks, white tennis shoes, and an Adidas white sweatband on his wrist. He also had a chain on his shorts and a golden chain necklace that had the dollar symbol hanging from it. "Yo, my new homies. George Garcia is here ta bring the house down!" He sat down.

Rosette and Chrno sweatdropped while Mia smiled slightly.

Another male demon stood up and gave George an irritated look. He had long red hair that reached his elbows and golden eyes. His horns were about a foot long and he had three golden jewels on his forehead. He wore a white kimono shirt, baggy black pants, and Japanese style sandals. He smiled and bowed slightly, standing straight up afterwards. "I am Yusuke Fujamoto. It is a pleasure to meet you." He sat back down.

Chrno, Rosette, and Mia then each made their introductions then the meeting began.

* * *

"My Lord, we have received reports that Chrno, the Apostle, and human were seen last with Mary Christopher," a small demon said, bowing in front of the throne.

"I see. Stay with the orders I issued last and have our spy keep a close eye on those three," the lord said, his face hidden in the shadows.

"Yes, My Lord," the demon said then left the room.

The lord chuckled and drank his wine. His face became visible by the light causing his violet eyes to light up as well as make his long white hair shinier.

* * *

"That was sooooooooooooooo boring!" Rosette said in an annoyed tone of voice and lying flat on the bed. She and Chrno were in their room, Mia having gone to her room to take a nap.

Chrno chuckled slightly, sitting down next to her and trying to find something to watch on TV. "Maybe you should pay more attention in class, Rosette."

"If I hear the word Aion one more time, I swear I'll pummel the next one to say it," Rosette said.

Chrno smirked and leaned forward, whispering in her ear, "Aion."

Rosette growled and tackled Chrno causing them both to fall off the bed and onto the floor. She pinned Chrno's wrists down and sat on his stomach, leaning forward and glaring into his eyes. Chrno continued smirking, though, he actually hadn't thought that Rosette would go through her plan of hurting the next person to say the white haired demon's name.

"Isn't this a very awkward position we've gotten ourselves into," Chrno said.

Rosette's face turned a deep shade of red and she growled. "Now Mia's turned you into a hentai!"

"I'm not a hentai," Chrno said and gently placed a hand on Rosette's cheek, smiling warmly while looking into her eyes.

Rosette felt her breathing begin to slow while her heart began to pound rapidly. Chrno got up slightly, closing his eyes as his head drew closer to hers. Rosette closed her eyes as well, waiting for their lips to touch. Right when their lips were just about to touch, the door was slammed open. The two quickly parted, Rosette blushing furiously while fidgeting with the end of her shirt and Chrno's smile disappearing as he looked towards the one that had entered their room.

Henry was standing there, blinking a few times. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

"You weren't," Rosette said while still blushing, though, it wasn't as red as before.

"What is it?" Chrno asked as he stood up.

"Mary's been kidnapped," Henry said and looked away, his hands turning to fists.

Rosette stood up and nodded, her expression changing to one of determination. "Then let's go and save her butt."

"We can't," Henry said as he gritted his teeth.

"Why not?!" Rosette demanded. She didn't want to lose another family member and she wasn't about to let it happen again.

"If we come anywhere near where she's being held captive, they'll kill her," Henry said coldly.

Rosette took a few steps back, feeling useless and helpless just like she had when she had learned of her brother's death four years ago.

Chrno growled. "Isn't there anything we can do?!"

"Only one thing," Henry said, looking over at Rosette as his eyes turned cold. "In order to get Mary back, we have to hand over the Apostle."

Chrno and Rosette exchanged glances.

Rosette sighed and began walking forward. "I understand. I won't allow harm to come my cousin's way."

Chrno grabbed Rosette's hand and shook his head. _Don't do this._

_I have to. I won't lose the last of my family,_ Rosette told him.

"Rose!" Chrno cried. "Don't you dare go!" _You're all I have left!_

Rosette's eyes widened slightly and she smiled warmly as well as sadly. She went over to Chrno and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him lightly on the lips. Chrno's eyes widened then closed as he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist drawing her closer to him while also deepening the kiss.

"I do not mean to separate you two, but we do not have all day," Henry said as his face filled with sympathy and sorrow.

Rosette parted the kiss and held onto Chrno's hand, smiling apologetically. _I'm sorry... _She then ran off.

Chrno watched her leave then growled and slammed his fist into the wall.

"I am sorry. I would have not done this if it hadn't meant Mary's life," Henry said then left the room.

_I'll save you, Rosette. Don't worry,_ Chrno thought and looked out the window.

* * *

"My Lord," the small demon's voice said, interrupting the lord out of his thoughts.

"What is it now?" the lord asked, his face filled with a bit of irritation.

"We have the Apostle," the small demon squeaked out of fear that the lord would hurt him.

"Ahh. Send her and Mary in," the lord said and smiled slightly. _This shall prove to be interesting._

The demon nodded and left. A couple of minutes later, it returned with two guards, one of them holding Mary while the other held Rosette.

Rosette and Mary both looked at each other, their eyes widening.

"Mary!" Rosette cried. "Are you okay?!"  
"I'm fine," Mary grumbled. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Saving you. What else?" Rosette said and rolled her eyes. She looked up ahead and frowned. She wasn't surprise in the least bit when she saw that the person sitting in the throne was Aion.

Aion grinned and stood up, walking over to the two girls.

Rosette growled and instinctively placed a hand over the watch as she watched Aion approach her and Mary. "You've gotten what you want. Now let Mary go!"

Aion went up to Rosette and cupped her chin in his hand as he gently titled it upwards so that her blue eyes were looking into his purple ones. "You are quite beautiful, you know that?"

Rosette growled and kicked Aion in the shin. "Shut up!"

Aion was taken aback slightly by this and grinned. He looked towards the guard that was holding Mary and nodded. The guard left with the girl.

Rosette watched the guard take Mary away then glared at Aion again. "Where are you taking her?!"

"Do not worry. She will be fine. You honestly do not believe I would harm my own daughter, would you?" Aion said, continuing to grin.

"No. But how would I know that when you attempt to kidnap your own great niece and rape my great aunt?!" Rosette cried out and stepped on the guard's foot then elbowed him afterwards, unsheathing his blade and swinging it down vertically at Aion.

Aion quickly unsheathed his energy blade and blocked the blade. He smirked slightly. "You are quite the feisty one."

"And you are the most irritating one!" Rosette cried out and grabbed out her gun, smirking slightly. _Stupid idiots didn't bother to take my guns away._ She held the blade up still while using one hand to point the gun at Aion.

"You can try and shoot, but I do not believe you will find the results pleasing," Aion said.

"Just try me, pal," Rosette said and continued to aim her gun at him as she stepped back then threw the blade to the side now holding the gun with both hands.

"If you wish," Aion said and grabbed out a remote, pressing a red button. A small TV appeared in front of them showing Mary being taken outside. "Now, I can order them to bring her back and place her back within the dungeons if I wish to do so. I just merely have to press a certain button and it'll be done."

Rosette watched the TV as Mary was led out and sighed in defeat, lowering her gun.

"That's a good girl. Get rid of the guns then we'll precede. Don't worry. You'll still be able to help people out," Aion said and grinned.

* * *

"Neh! Chrno! Why didn't you stop her?!" Mia cried out in a whiny voice.

"I tried. I already said that, Mia," Chrno said, clearly frustrated.

"Why didn't you try harder?!" Mia continued to whine and clung to his leg. "You could have at least gotten me at the time!"

"You were asleep," Chrno said and rolled his eyes at Mia's childish behavior.

Mia just whined even more as Henry walked into the room, also sweatdropping from Mia's antics.

"Umm... I don't want to know," Henry said and shook his head then turned his attention back to Chrno. "Mary's returned."

Mia stopped her whining as she looked towards Henry with slightly wide eyes while Chrno's eyes were mixed with anger, sorrow, and regret.

"What about Rosette? Is she okay?" Chrno asked in a very quiet even voice.

Mia looked up at the purple head demon to see his hands had turned to fists and his bangs were hiding his expression.

"We do not know at the moment," Henry said and shook his head, his expression full of sympathy. "I would have preferred not to hand Rosette over, especially since she's an Apostle, but, given the circumstances, we had no choice."

"You idiot! There could have been something better you guys could have done than to give in so willingly!" a girl's voice shouted and Mary soon arrived within the area, lifting Henry up by the collar of his shirt and glaring into his eyes. She was obviously upset with the events that had taken place. "Not only did you hand over my cousin, you also handed over an Apostle! I am sure you realize that Aion has been kidnapping them and that was the reason he wished to have her in his captivity!"

Chrno growled deeply at the mention of Aion's name then went over to the two, looking towards Mary. "Do you at least remember the location of the palace?"

Mary shook her head and lowered her arm, releasing Henry as she looked away. "I could not catch a glimpse of the surroundings nor the palace itself as they had blinded me before they took me there and after they released me back in the city that I have naught a clue of the location. Father is not fool enough to release someone knowing full well that they'd go off and tell everyone his secret location."

Mia, whom had released Chrno when Mary had arrived, watched them all and sighed. She stood up and went over to them. "No matter the costs, we have to and will save Rosette." Her expression filled with determination. She had no clue what was giving her courage and so much determination, but she wasn't about to back down now. "We've made it this far. To suddenly give up would put all our hard work in vain."

Chrno nodded in agreement. "I'm going to search for Rose. If you guys are too cowardly enough to come, then stay here." With that said, he began leaving.

"Hey! Chrno! Wait up for me!" Mia cried and ran after him.

"They are an odd group. A human, demon, and an Apostle," Henry said and slightly smiled.

"Yeah. Those three are. Add a half demon in and it just becomes even more weird," Mary said and laughed slightly then smiled. "I'm going to go with them."

Henry nodded. "Be careful."

"I will," Mary said softly and kissed him on the cheek then ran off before either of them could say another word.

Henry placed a hand over his cheek and smiled as he watched Mary leave then turned around to create a new plan of attack.

* * *

Mia, Chrno, and Mary searched around the crowded city for any clues that would lead them to Aion, but, so far, no luck.

Mary, who was now in her child form, growled in frustration and crossed her arms, glaring down at the ground. "We've been searching all day and there's still no clue as to where Father is!"

Mia made a disgusted face. "How can you so willingly call him that? The guy was the one that raped your mother for crying out loud!"

Mary sweatdropped slightly. "That maybe true, but I do have his blood flowing through my veins."

That didn't help to rid of the disgusted expression upon Mia's face and, in fact, made it much more worse. "Gack! I'd hate to be you! I mean... Gaaahhhh!" She shuddered. "I feel so sorry for Rosette. Even she did not deserve to be related to that guy."

Mary continued sweatdropping then sighed and shook her head. "At least I'm not Chrno's daughter." She smirked slightly.

Chrno raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong with being his daughter?" Mia asked.

Mary's eyes held a glint of amusement within them. "If I was blood related to him, him and the present-day Rosette wouldn't be able to be together because that would be incest."

Chrno turned deathly pale at the thought.

Mia also turned slightly pale as she imagined it then shuddered. "That would be wrong on so many levels that even _I_ wouldn't dare to go."

Mary snickered at their responses and it led both, Chrno and Mia, wonder how she could be related to either Rosette or Joshua when her thoughts were of that type.

"At least when I'm in hentai mode, I don't make _those_ type of remarks," Mia muttered.

Chrno was still pale from the comment, but shook his head. "We have no time for that... Nonsense. We have to get back on track."

Mia and Mary both nodded and followed the purple haired demon as he made his way through the crowd.

"Everyone behold the Saint! She will heal away all our illnesses! She will rid the world of Satan's Plague!" a female demon cried out.

Mia, Chrno, and Mary all exchanged glances and ran to the center of attention.

Chrno could feel his heart clench while his stomach began doing flips. He hoped this "Saint" wasn't who he thought it was. Surely she wouldn't willfully agree to do as Aion had said. However, when he and the two girls had arrived at the scene, his heart filled with even more pain.

Rosette stood with Aion upon a platform, using her powers to get rid of the illnesses that had sickened the demons that she was tending to. She was dressed in a black gown, wore a black headband that had a black bow on the top of it, white socks, and black dress shoes. Her eyes were blank and emotionless.

"Rosette!" Mia cried and was about to run over to her best friend when Mary grabbed her wrist and shook her head.

"You cannot reach her," Mary said softly, her expression filled with sorrow.

"Then I will," Chrno said and growled, his hands turning to fists as he watched Aion wrap an arm around Rosette's waist. He gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes. It was just like last time all those years ago. He could still remember it as though it had happened yesterday. The Rosette he had known had been dressed exactly like that with the same sullen expression and had been under Aion's control as well. Chrno's growl deepened as his red eyes slightly began glowing. He wasn't going to allow history to repeat itself again. He wouldn't allow Aion to hold Rosette any longer. "Aion, get your damn hands off Rose!!!!"

Rosette and Aion both turned their attention to Chrno. Aion smirked slightly while Rosette's expression remained neutral, but Chrno swore he had seen recognition in her eyes for a brief second.

"She is only doing as she always wanted. She's helping people," Aion said.

"How are you controlling her this time?!" Chrno demanded.

Mary turned into her true form then unsheathed her blade while Mia grabbed out her whip.

The crowd of demons all exchanged glances then surrounded the three, fangs bared and claws ready to strike.

Aion gave Chrno a plain look. "If I were to tell you that, it would ruin all the fun." He smirked again as he began leading Rosette off the platform.

"Rosette! Rose!" Chrno cried out as the group of demons lunged forward at him and the two girls.

Rosette looked over her shoulder at Chrno, their eyes meeting. She seemed to mouth something, but what it was, Chrno didn't quite catch.

Chrno growled and tried to get pass all the demons, but he wasn't doing very well since he was in his smaller form.

Mia whipped at all the demons that came near her while also holding them off with her blade at the same time, something that wasn't that easy.

Mary slashed through each demon that came her way, trying desperately to get to her father and cousin before it was too late.

Chrno punched one demon in the face then stabbed another with his blade while he continued to try to make his way again. He cursed under his breath. It was happening again. He was going to lose her. He shook his head and sliced off a demon's head, jumping up onto their face then leaping onto another demon's head once that demon's body had fallen to the ground. He began leaping from head to head, wishing he had his horns.

* * *

Aion smiled once he had spotted Arachnia and handed Rosette to her.

"Take her to her room," Aion said.

Arachnia nodded and obeyed him, gently taking Rosette's arm and escorting her into their ship, Eden II.

"All ready to leave, Mon Capitan?" a cheerful voice asked.

Aion turned around to see a small cat demon and nodded, smiling slightly. "Yes, Emerald, I am ready."

The cat demon had green eyes and tanned skin. Her tanned arms and legs were covered with black stripes, a pair of black stripes being underneath her eyes. She had short pink hair that reached her shoulders, a pair of brown cat ears on top of her head that had a few black stripes on them, and a long brown tail that also had quite a few stripes on it. She wore an orange dress that reached her knees and tanned furry wristbands around her ankles and wrists. She had claws and was barefoot. Emerald appeared no older than the age of eight and her height showed it as well.

"Alrighty then! Let's get this show on the road!" Emerald cried out cheerfully. She was about to return to the ship with Aion when a voice interrupted them both.

"Aion! Release Rosette!" the voice said calmly yet deadly.

The two turned their attention towards the one who had spoken to see Chrno.

"Mrow. Why do you hafta go and ruin me fun?" Emerald said and crossed her arms.

Chrno sweatdropped, becoming oddly reminded of a cat demon he had once known. He shook his head then turned his attention back to Aion, watching him through narrowed eyes.

"Chrno, we will meet again. Until then, I suggest you keep a low profile," Aion said then smirked. "We wouldn't want the Pursuers to get rid of you before we've settled our score, now would we?" His violet eyes lit up slightly as he turned to enter the ship, Emerald slowly following him.

"Aion!" Chrno shouted.

Aion and Emerald paid no heed to him as they finally entered the ship, the door closing.

Chrno was about to run forward and demand they release Rosette, but Mia and Mary had come just in time to see the ship had begun to take off and had to hold Chrno back. Chrno continued to shout out Rosette's name and for Aion to release her. Mary and Mia both traded glances and nodded, both knocking the purple haired demon out then returning to their hideout since there was nothing more they could do at the moment.

* * *

Aion now has Rosette. What will he do with her? Will Chrno and the others be able to rescue her? How exactly is Rosette being controlled now? These and so many more questions will be answered in the next chapter(s) of Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning! And please don't forget to review on your way out. Thank you in advance.


	7. Rescue and Savior

Thank you so much for the reviews, everyone!

Evilanimeblond22: Glad you're enjoying the fic so far. Reason I update so often is because I'm normally found working on the next chapter. It's only until writer's block decides to take over that I don't update as much. x.x And I'll be sure to follow that advice.

NightElfCrawler: Eh-heh. Sorry about the characters and details being a little off, but, like I said, I've never seen the anime nor read the mangas. I am planning on doing both eventually, though. And thank you for the compliment. What's AU? Lol. I've seen it on a few fics, but I have no clue what it means. x.x And, yep, you've got that right. I do love writing. Been writing since I was in six grade. o.o Though, I didn't start writing fics and publishing them until eighth grade.

Cauldron's Girl: Gomen ne. I was trying to make it so that Chrno was angry over the rape, but, at the same time, he was trying not to hurt the present-day Rosette since the two have developed feelings for one another.

Ruby-dream: I was working on all the chapters when I had become a member. Problem was, it wouldn't let me upload any chapters because new members don't get to do that until three days have passed since they started their membership. So, I actually didn't finish them all in a day. Lol. More like finished them in about three or four days. I heard that there was a spider demon that had been a Sinner, but I didn't know how she looked so I based Arachnia's appearance more like that of one of Naraku's (Inuyasha) transformations that I saw in the second movie. Though, that's just the body. The hair, eyes, clothing, and stuff I made up from the top of my head. As for what the fic is based off, at the moment, it's more aimed towards the anime since I know more about a few things that happened in it than I do in the manga. That may change in the future, though.

* * *

**Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning**

**By: **

**Guardian Angel of Innocence**

**Chapter Seven: Rescue and Savior **

"You creep!" Rosette cried and pounded her fists against the steel door. She was within the room they were holding her as hostage in. Despite its luxurious style, it didn't feel in the least bit welcoming. She had a migraine, her vision was slightly blurred, she could hardly remember the events that had taken place back at the city with Chrno and the others, she felt weak; something she definitely hated, and, to top it all off, she was as hungry as heck. "Let me out!"

"Shut up!" a deep voice yelled.

"Not until you or someone else gets me out of here!" Rosette shouted, though, it wasn't exactly helping her migraine. She continued to pound on the door. She sighed in defeat after several minutes had gone by, her antics not getting her anywhere fast. She sat down on the bed and looked out the window. She had to admit, the black clothes she wore definitely went with the gloomy mood she was in. She shook her head then stood up. No. She wasn't going to go down without a fight and Aion and his crew was going to have to put up with her rather they liked it or not.

Rosette walked over to the door then placed the face of her palms against it. She smirked slightly. She might have become weakened from using her powers earlier but that wasn't going to stop her. She closed her eyes slightly as a white aura began to form around her. A white energy ball began to form in her hands. She was about to pour the rest of her strength into the blast she would create when she fell to her knees. Apparently, she had become more weakened than she had thought.

Rosette sighed again and sat up. She closed her eyes then opened them when a thought came to her. She looked down at the watch and smirked slightly.

* * *

Chrno growled as he walked back in forth in his room. Rosette's scent was all over the place and that was only causing the purple haired to feel even guiltier, frustrated, sadder, and angrier. He sighed and shook his head then sat down on the bed. He was going insane. First he had lost Magdalene, then Rosette, and, well, he was losing Rosette again. His eyes widened slightly when he suddenly felt his full power return to him.

_She... She opened the watch?!_ Chrno thought then quickly stood up. He ran out of his room causing Mia to raise an eyebrow.

"Oi! Ku-ro-no! Where you going?" Mia said as she followed him.

"Rosette! She's opened the watch!" Chrno cried as he made his way down the stairs.

Mia's eyes slightly widened. She then smiled. "Then what are you waiting for?! Turn into your true form and let's go free her while kicking Aion's butt at the same time!"

"What's with all the yelling?" Mary asked as she entered the area, her arms crossed.

"Rosette's given Chrno the ability to use his powers so it's our job to save her!" Mia cried out cheerfully.

"May I ask how you intend to do that?" Mary asked and raised an eyebrow.

Mia's smile disappeared while Chrno's face was filled with the gloominess it held before.

Mary nodded. "Exactly." She sighed. "She's opening that watch without thinking. Wasting her life energy." She shook her head.

Chrno's eyes turned cold at the thought of losing Rosette. He growled and turned into his true form. "It doesn't matter. We have to try to find her."

* * *

"Yes! The human is silent!" a demon cheered.

"That's a good thing. Now don't jinx it," Arachnia said coldly.

"Awwwww. Lighten up, you guys. No need to be so..." Emerald paused, trying to think of the right word to phrase it. "Umm... Well... Mrow! The way you guys are acting!" She crossed her arms since she was unable to think of the correct word to say.

Aion shook his head, smiling slightly. He held up his wine glass. "A toast to freedom."

The other demons raised an eyebrow then raised their own glasses, drinking the liquid after they had made the toast.

* * *

Rosette growled as she banged the back of her head against the wall she was sitting in front of. _Where is he? Sheesh. It can't be that hard to locate a big ship thing when everyone else around here flies by using their wings!_

_It's not that easy, you know,_ a very familiar voice said within her mind.

Rosette's eyes widened. _Chrno?!_

_At your service,_ Chrno said.

Rosette could imagine the smirk he must be wearing when he said that. She got up and went over to the window, smiling slightly. _Geez. It's only been two days and I already miss him. It's great to hear his voice again._ Her smile grew slightly wider.

Chrno chuckled causing Rosette to gasp then begin to blush, forgetting he could hear her thoughts.

_Oi! Chrno! Didn't I ever tell you not to read my mind?!_ Rosette demanded.

Chrno laughed nervously. _Ah. Sorry, Rosette._

Rosette smiled again and shook her head. _It's fine._ She frowned when she thought about it, realizing she had never told him such a thing. She smirked slightly. _Oh, wells._ She opened the window and looked down at the land below the ship. _Umm... Chrno, even I have no idea where I am._

_What?!_ Chrno groaned. _Can you at least tell me what the land looks like below you?_

_Umm... I don't see how that'll help, but if you say so._ She looked down at the land once more. _It's a forest from the looks of it._ Her eyes narrowed slightly, the forest seeming very familiar. She shook her head since now wasn't the time to wonder. _Umm... It looks like there are some mountains, hills, and stuff. It's so beautiful here. No clouds covering the sky at all._

_Ugh. I don't remember ever seeing a forest around here, but okay. In the meantime... Rosette, close the watch,_ Chrno said.

_What?! Heck no! How are you going to get here and kick Aion's butt if you can't fly?! _Rosette cried.

_It's draining your life energy! _Chrno protested.

_Grrrr! I'm leaving it open and that's that. There's nothing you can do about it anyway, so there,_ Rosette said and smiled triumphantly as she crossed her arms.

Chrno sighed in defeat. _You'll never change._

_You should be glad about that,_ Rosette said and smirked. She then heard someone opening her door and quickly hid her watch underneath her dress.

Emerald walked in and smiled. "Meow. Thought I'd bring up food for ya. I know you must be starving."

Rosette's eyes widened as well as lit up at the sight of the burrito. "Ahhhh! Thank you so much!" She quickly took the burrito and began eating it. It was quite clear that the teenager had been famished. After finishing the food, she drank all of her milk then handed the empty cup and plate Emerald. She smiled. "Thank you again."

Emerald sweatdropped when she took note of how quickly the Apostle had eaten the food then shook her head and smiled. "You are very welcome." She took the plate and cup. "Mrow. For an Apostle, you definitely act nothing like one."

"I didn't even know I was one until recently," Rosette said. "Umm... Where exactly are we going?"

"To our secret headquarters," Emerald said and smirked slightly. "We're almost there. In the center of the forest underneath the ground, that's where we're headed."

"Underground?" Rosette asked, her eyes slightly widening.

"Hai. Underground. Neh. I gotta go. Talk to ya lata, sweetie," Emerald said cheerfully, then walked out of the room, the door closing as she did so.

Rosette sighed and went back over to the window. _You still there, Chrno?_

_Yeah. What was with the elevator music?_ Chrno said.

Rosette could imagine him smirking again and did the same. _Sorry. Food called._

_Always thinking about your stomach,_ Chrno said and chuckled.

_Hey! I do not always think about my stomach!_ Rosette protested.

Chrno continued laughing. _Uh-huh. Sure you do... n't... Uhh... Rosette, I have to go for now. I'll talk to you later._

_Huh? Hey! Chrno! Why the heck do you have to leave?!_ Rosette cried. _Chrno? Chrno?! CHRNO?! _She growled and glared at the trees as the ship began to descend as though they were the cause of her no longer being in contact with Chrno.

* * *

Chrno flew up into the air, carrying Mia in his arms. Mary was flying beside him along with Henry.

It was when Chrno heard Rosette's voice in his head that he smiled brightly.

Rosette growled and said, _Where is he? Sheesh. It can't be that hard to locate a big ship thing when everyone else around here flies by using their wings!_

_It's not that easy, you know,_ Chrno told her and smiled.

_Chrno?! _Rosette asked in surprise.

_At your service,_ Chrno said and smirked slightly.

_Geez. It's only been two days and I already miss him. It's great to hear his voice again, _Rosette said, obviously forgetting he could hear her.

Chrno chuckled as he smiled.

_Oi! Chrno! Didn't I ever tell you not to read my mind?!_ Rosette demanded.

Chrno laughed nervously while he sweatdropped. _Ah. Sorry, Rosette._

_It's fine, _Rosette said. _Oh, wells._ _Umm... Chrno, even I have no idea where I am._

_What?!_ Chrno groaned. _Can you at least tell me what the land looks like below you?_

_Umm... I don't see how that'll help, but if you say so, _Rosette said._ Umm... It looks like there are some mountains, hills, and stuff. It's so beautiful here. No clouds covering the sky at all._

_Ugh. I don't remember ever seeing a forest around here, but okay. In the meantime... Rosette, close the watch,_ Chrno said, his face filling with determination as well as concern.

_What?! Heck no! How are you going to get here and kick Aion's butt if you can't fly?! _Rosette cried.

_It's draining your life energy! _Chrno protested.

_Grrrr! I'm leaving it open and that's that. There's nothing you can do about it anyway, so there,_ Rosette said stubbornly.

Chrno sighed in defeat and shook his head. _You'll never change._

_You should be glad about that,_ Rosette said.

Chrno smiled as he looked up ahead. He actually was really happy that she hadn't changed at all.

Rosette sighed after a long period of time then asked, _You still there, Chrno?_

_Yeah. What was with the elevator music?_ Chrno said then smirked.

_Sorry. Food called, _Rosette said.

_Always thinking about your stomach,_ Chrno said and chuckled.

_Hey! I do not always think about my stomach!_ Rosette protested.

Chrno continued laughing. _Uh-huh. Sure you do... n't..._He stopped in mid-sentence when he saw an army of demons in front of him and the others._ Uhh... Rosette, I have to go for now. I'll talk to you later. _He really wanted to speak to her more, but now wasn't the time. He handed Mia to Mary then glared at the leader of them all. He growled as the leader stepped forward.

"And so we meet again, Sinner," the leader said and smirked slightly.

"Dufou," Chrno growled as he gritted his teeth.

* * *

Rosette growled in frustration. She _so_ did not like playing damsel-in-distress. Being held captive, waiting for her knight in shiny armor, it was _so_ against her and her ways! She went over to the closet and slid the doors open. She then began to rummage through all the boxes. There just _had_ to be _something_ in here that they hadn't gotten rid of that would allow her to make an escape!

* * *

Sister Kristy and Reverend Maxwell watched the portal with worried expressions. Rosette, Mia, and Chrno had been gone for quite a few days now. Of course, they didn't expect the three to immediately find out what was wrong in Pandemonium, however, that didn't cease their concern for the two teens and demon.

"You know, this can become quite boring," Tracie said and yawned as she stretched. "I might like to go hang out on the computer and stuff, but this is ridiculous!"

Kristy sighed then turned around. "I am going to go check on the students."

Maxwell nodded as he watched her leave then looked down at Tracie's laptop. "Have you picked up any strange readings?"

"Hmmm? Ah! That's right!" Tracie said and began typing codes into her computer. After a few minutes, a long list indicating disturbances within the Earth and Pandemonium appeared. "From what I can gather from these documents, someone else has been going from this realm to the next. However, I cannot determine who it is since they've seemed to have placed up a barrier that makes it so they are untraceable. I also haven't the slightest idea of how they're doing it." Her brows drew closer together as she tried to make sense of the situation.

"Where do they open the portal the most? No doubt that that's where they're most likely hiding," Reverend Maxwell said determinedly.

Tracie scrolled down the list. "Hmm... Oh!" She looked towards Maxwell. "The place the portal most appears is within Michigan in a forest. I believe you may know what forest, Reverend."

Maxwell raised an eyebrow. His eyes then widened in realization and he quickly nodded, running off to inform Kristy.

* * *

Rosette felt the ship begin to reach the ground and felt herself begin to panic. She still hadn't found anything to help her to escape and she didn't even have a weapon to use on them if they attempted to catch her again. She growled in frustration then stopped as a smirk slowly spread across her lips. She had an idea. She just hoped it worked.

* * *

"Hard to believe you're still among the living since Aion obviously has taken your throne away from you," Chrno said a bit coldly.

"It's equally hard to believe you yourself is still alive," Dufou said just as coldly.

Mia watched the two demons and frowned, muttering, "Someone really needs to explain things to me before I decide to help anyone." She sighed and shook her head, obviously at a total lost of how the two knew one another. She shrugged and watched them again guessing it had to do with the fact that Chrno had been one of the Sinners.

"Children, quit your bickering," Mary snapped. "We have more important matters to tend to."

Dufou glared at Mary. "I'm even more surprised you're still here, half-breed."

Mia rolled her eyes. "We don't have time for this! My best friend is in danger and her life is far more important than this quarrel you two have!"

"She's right. Let us through, Dufou. I'll deal with you later," Chrno said determinedly.

Dufou shook his head. "I will not allow you to go, Sinner. It is my job to kill you."

"He's not a stupid Sinner anymore, dammit!" Mia cried. She grabbed out both of her guns and pointed them at Dufou and the other demons. "Let us through or I'm shooting!"

Mary looked down at Mia. "What are you doing?! I might be part human, but that holy stuff still hurts like hell!"

Dufou turned his attention to Mia. "Human, he may not be one anymore, but he must be punished for what he did."

"He's already repented for it. His good deeds far outweigh his misdeeds. Now let us through. This is your last warning, Lord Dufou," Mia said somewhat coldly.

"A human with two holy guns, two full demons, and a half-breed are going to defeat a whole army of demons? I highly doubt it," Dufou said, his eyes glinting dangerously.

Mia growled. "Fine, but this is entirely your fault for not heeding my warning." She fired both of her guns.

Dufou and the rest of the demons' eyes widened and they quickly scattered about, trying to not be hit by Mia's gospel bullets. Chrno and Henry took that as their chance to attack and began clawing at the ones they charged after.

"Girl, you need to get wings somehow," Mary said, frowning as she watched Chrno and Henry fight. "With me holding you like this, I'm missing out on all the fun."

"Neh. Not my fault I'm a human," Mia said and continued to fire her guns, trying her best not to hit either of their comrades.

Dufou spotted Chrno and flew after him, grabbing out his blade and swinging it horizontally. Chrno quickly grabbed the demon he was fighting by the tail and began spinning around, intending on throwing the demon far away, however, instead, he got cut. He placed a hand over his wound, releasing the demon as he winced. He glared at Dufou then unsheathed his blade, upper cutting the demon he had been spinning around causing it to be sliced in half before it could attack him. He then turned his attention to Dufou, watching him through narrowed eyes.

Henry grabbed a demon by its wrists and began crushing them while kicking a few demons away from him before they could attack him. Mia continued firing her guns while Mary flew out of the way of some demons that had decided to attack them.

* * *

Rosette heard the door begin to open. She quickly stood up and closed the closet after shoving the pile she had thrown out of it earlier back into it. She smirked slightly then quickly got rid of it as the cat demon came in. She glared at her. "When are you going to release me?!"

"Mrow. Don't be so mean and stuff. Aion still needs you. Don't worry, though. I think you'll enjoy your stay," Emerald said and smiled. "I think you'll be very happy once you meet a certain someone." She gently grabbed Rosette by the arm and began leading her out of the ship.

Rosette looked around the area, wanting to memorize everything about the place just in case if she or someone else had to return to the ship.

Once the two were out of the ship, Rosette put her plan into action. She quickly punched Emerald in the face causing the small cat demon to place her hands over her bleeding nose, tears beginning to trail down her cheeks. Rosette smiled apologetically, but she couldn't hesitate now. She began running, returning to the inside of the ship. She quickly hid behind some crates when she saw Arachnia and two other demons pass her. She let out a sigh of relief then came out of hiding.

Rosette quickly ran as fast as she could, being sure not to be caught. She ran into a room and quickly sealed the door. She let out a breath, placing her hand over her pounding heart. She then heard footsteps approaching her, her eyes widening in alarm. She quickly opened the closet then closed it, hiding underneath a pile of blankets. She peeked through a small hole to see Aion opening the closet and putting two guns on the top shelf. Rosette's eyes narrowed slightly then widened. She smirked, realizing those guns were hers. Her smirk quickly disappeared when she heard a very familiar voice speaking to Aion.

"Lord Aion, is it all right if I burrow your Odyssey book?" the voice asked.

Aion turned around, obviously facing the owner of the voice. "Yes, you may. But I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" the voice asked.

"Yes. I believe you will be quite happy once you see it," Aion said then closed the closet.

Rosette continued listening to the conversation, though, she had to lean against the closet doors in order to hear it clearly.

"For now, let us get going. Your surprise awaits you outside the ship with the others," Aion said.

Rosette heard the door close and quickly removed the blankets, coming out of hiding. She let out a breath then reached up for her guns. Once she had gotten them, she strapped each of them to her thighs, her dress hiding them very well. She went over to the window and peered out of it to see the others begin to panic when they had discovered her missing. She watched as some of the demons left to go in search of her through the forest. Others came back on board to search for her in the ship. The final group entered their underground lab that had been revealed underneath the ground after the ship had landed. The piece of land that led to the palace had lifted up, making it appear as a ramp if she had been on the other side of it.

Rosette watched as the demons were finally out of her view. She opened the window and climbed onto the wing since it had been next to the window. While doing so, she closed the window as to not give any of Aion and his crew a hint of where she had been. She then slowly climbed off the ship and hid behind its large wheels when she spotted Aion and... her brother!

* * *

Dun. Dun. Dun. I'm leaving it at a cliffhanger. I'm so evil. (grins all evil-like) Anyways, hope you enjoyed it and please don't forget to review on your way out. Thank you very much in advance.


	8. Escaping, Searching, and SETDC

* * *

Ruby-dream: Glad you're enjoying it. Had writer's block for a while on this chapter, though. x.x

Flying Phoenix: I'll try to update as much as possible, though, that's going to be kind of hard for me now since school's starting for me tomorrow.

Evilanimeblond22: Lol. Sorry. I tried to make it longer, but then it wouldn't have made for a very good effective ending. And thank you for all the compliments. I'm trying my best to make it really good even if it is hard since I've been getting writer's block lately. And I'll be sure to read your fic as soon as it comes out. Ja!

* * *

**Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning**

**By:**

**Guardian Angel of Innocence**

**Chapter Eight: Escaping, Searching, and S.E.T.D.C.**

"You decide now is the time to inform me of this, Maxwell?" Kristy asked through narrow eyes. She stood up, her hands on her desk as she leaned slightly forward, the young reverend standing in front of her. "If you had told me about this at an earlier time, I could have told Rosette, Chrno, and Mia then this might have been solved earlier."

"Sorry, Kristy, but I have just now gotten this news," Maxwell apologized.

Kristy sighed and sat back down, massaging her temples. "The past few days have been rather long. Next time we have those three bring some sort of communicators with them so we're in contact with them. Things of this sort would be far more easier to report to them before it got worse."

"Yes. You are right. Perhaps we should have Tracie try to create such a device," Maxwell said thoughtfully.

* * *

Dufou and Chrno both charged at one another. Dufou swung his blade vertically while Chrno quickly blocked the attack then held his hand up, palm faced towards Dufou. Dark energy formed within Chrno's hand, red lightning coming off it. He quickly shot the small energy ball at Dufou. Dufou was sent flying back quite a few feet, but he quickly stopped himself from hitting the ground. He growled and shot out his own energy blast at Chrno, the energy being light blue with white lightning coming off it. Chrno quickly flew out of the way of the attack then flew after Dufou.

Henry crushed the demon's wrists causing it to cry out in agony. He then threw the demon into the ones that had been charging towards him. Afterwards, he flew up high in the air then held out both hands, his palms faced towards the rest of the demons that were still approaching him. A huge ball of green energy formed within both of his hands. He shot the blast at them causing them all to disintegrate when it had hit them. The blast also created a huge crater in the ground. Henry sweatdropped since he hadn't intended to make the crater. He shook his head and went off to fight the rest of the demons.

Mary weaved her way through the energy blasts the demons were shooting at her and Mia. She growled slightly while Mia yelped out of surprise when a blast almost hit the both of them. Mia quickly recovered from her surprise then continued to fire her guns.

* * *

Rosette kept herself from letting out a growl as she watched Aion speak to her brother. Though her brother had grown quite a bit, she still recognized him. She was glad that he was alive and appeared to be very well. She let out a sigh of relief then looked away. At the moment, there was nothing she really could do to save Joshua, but that didn't mean she'd give up in doing so.

Rosette turned her attention to Aion and held up her hands, palms faced towards him. Little by little, white energy began to form within her hands while a holy aura surrounded her. She was obviously still weak from earlier since sweat was beginning to pour down her face, tiredness trying to will her to close her eyes. Rosette tried her best to not allow her weakness to stop her. She would save her brother. Even if it meant her life, she wouldn't care as long as Joshua was safe and out of harm's way.

Rosette's hair began to slowly float up while the energy ball within her hands began to become bigger. She continued to fight back the sleep that her body longed for so much. Once the ball had reached the size she wished for, she shot it out towards Aion.

Aion had been busy talking to Joshua that he failed to notice the blast. He let out a cry of pain once the ball had hit him.

Rosette quickly ran over to Joshua's side, ignoring the fact that her legs were aching to give in. She gently took his hand and began making a run for it, not wanting to wait to see what affect her blast had had on the white haired demon.

"Hey! Who are you?! Where are you taking me?!" the young blonde head boy cried.

"Keep running. More talk later," Rosette said as she felt her legs turning into jelly and lungs gasping for air.

Joshua gave her a puzzled look. She did look very familiar, but, at the same time, she looked so different. Sweat began to go down his face as the two made their way around the trees. "I... Feel so... Tired..."

"Joshua! Keep running! Don't you dare pass out on me now! Not when we've gotten this far!" Rosette cried, ignoring her own thoughts of just stopping there and resting.

* * *

"You want me to make a communicator?" Tracie asked.

Reverend Maxwell nodded, the two being in front of the portal. "It would help greatly."

Tracie smiled then stood up. "Mission accepted." She ran off to the Elder's house. "It'll be completed in no time!"

Maxwell only smiled and shook his head. He then sat down as he watched the laptop just in case Chrno and the others returned.

* * *

Dufou and Chrno's blades clashed against each other as they both glared into one another's eyes.

"You'll never win," Dufou sneered. "I will not allow you to get away again."

"That's odd. And, yet, this whole time I've had this battle already won," Chrno said and smirked slightly.

He quickly kicked Dufou in the stomach then sent out another blast at Dufou. Dufou winced slightly then got up and flew after Chrno. Chrno growled as he flew back quite a bit.

"Mia, Mary, Henry, get out of here! I'll take care of this! We can't linger here anymore! Rosette's in trouble!" Chrno cried.

Mia looked up at Mary who in turn nodded in agreement.

"Are you sure?" Henry asked as he threw a final demon into three that had been approaching him.

Chrno nodded. "I'm positive. Now, leave!"

"We'll free Rosette! Don't worry!" Mia cried as Mary and Henry began flying away from the scene. The last thing the three saw was Dufou bringing his blade down on Chrno then a bright explosion surrounding the area they had all once been at.

* * *

Rosette continued running. Her legs were going to give in on her at any minute, but she wouldn't allow them to do so, not until she was sure she had lost Aion and his crew. She could sense the same thing went for Joshua. Her grip on his hand tightened slightly as she gritted her teeth, her face full of determination.

"Almost there, Joshua. Soon, we'll both be free," Rosette said as she continued to run.

The forest seemed to become all the more familiar to her and, while it was a good thing since she could navigate though it without having to worry about getting lost, it was beginning to really creep her out since she had never been within it in her whole entire life.

Rosette smiled when they had finally arrived in front of a lake. She released Joshua's hand and looked down at the water, seeing that her face was drenched in sweat and it had a few scratches from branches she hadn't bothered to move out of the way. She also had a few twigs and leaves in her hair. She wiped the sweat away from her brow then looked towards her brother, smiling.

"That was some run, eh?" Rosette asked.

Joshua panted and looked towards Rosette, smiling slightly. "Yeah. It was."

"But we're not done just yet," Rosette said and took her brother's hand. She smirked slightly. "You ready for a swim?"

Joshua's eyes widened slightly and before he could do or say anything, Rosette dragged him into the water with her. Rosette led him down deeper into the lake, the two taking time to admire the water's life. Eventually, they arrived within an underwater cave. The siblings surfaced and went onto the land. They both then leaned against the walls, panting.

"Is this what you do for a living?" Joshua asked and looked towards his sister, smiling slightly.

Rosette smirked. "You bet." She took her shoes and socks off then placed them to the side since they were drenched and it felt very uncomfortable to wear them.

Joshua did the same then sighed. "You never told me who you were."

Rosette looked away, her smirk disappearing. "Sorry. I'm Rosette." She looked towards him and smiled sadly. "But you must not remember me. I'm your sister."

Joshua's eyes widened. "Rosette?" He smiled then hugged her tightly. "I've missed you so much, sister!"

Rosette was taken aback slightly by this. She smiled and hugged her brother back. "I've missed you a lot, too."

* * *

Aion growled angrily when he had discovered the boy missing and could only conclude that Rosette had been the one who had shot the blast and taken her brother with her. He knew they couldn't have gotten far and sent out some of his guards to go in search of the siblings. He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Mrow. She didn't have to hit me so hard," Emerald said, tears of pain still going down her cheeks, her nose having stopped bleeding.

"You should go have that looked at in the hospital room, Emerald," Aion said gently.

Emerald nodded. "Okay. But are you okay, Aion? That was quite a blast of holy energy she shot at you." Her face filled with concern.

"I will be fine. The girl's powers are still weak so they did not hurt me as much as they normally would have," Aion said then smiled. "Now go to the nurse. That nose of yours isn't going to feel any better if you don't."

Emerald nodded and ran off.

* * *

"Rosette's going to kill us," Mia muttered.

"Why do you say that?" Henry asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Because we left Chrno behind," Mia said.

Mary sighed and shook her head. "I haven't the faintest idea of where to search for her."

"Maybe we should return to Earth and see if Tracie can make some sort of radar that will help us search for Rosette," Mia suggested.

Mary and Henry both exchanged glances before returning their attention back to Mia.

"Are you sure they'd let us come?" Mary asked.

"We _are_ demons," Henry said.

"So is Chrno. What's your point? They'll let you through, okay?" Mia said.

Mary and Henry traded glances again before nodding.

"Just tell us where to go," Mary said.

* * *

Rosette picked up a few sticks and placed them in the center of the cave, her brother having fallen asleep near the wall. The two were still wet and would most likely catch a cold if they didn't have any heat to warm them. That was especially bad for her brother since he tended to be a bit weak. She began making a fire and let out a startled cry when the fire started abruptly. She shook her head and began making the fire the size appropriately needed. Rosette then went over to her brother and gently picked him up, bringing him a bit closer to the fire, but not too close so that it didn't burn him. She held her hands out, trying to warm them with the fire afterwards.

* * *

Chrno groaned as he sat up, putting a hand to his head after removing a dead demon off him. He shook his head and got up, looking around. Once he had been sure Mia, Mary, and Henry were a good distance away, he used his powers to freeze Dufou and his army in time, all of them temporarily appearing as gray statues. Though, Chrno knew full well it wouldn't last long and it was best for him to leave before they unfroze. He flew up into the air then flew off in search of Eden II.

* * *

Tracie looked around the Elder's house, throwing any objects she found unnecessary for the new invention she would create. She smiled widely when she had finally gathered a pile of all the items needed. She then began creating her masterpiece.

* * *

Maxwell sighed and leaned back in the chair Tracie had been sitting in only moments ago as he watched her laptop. His eyes then widened when he saw that someone was trying to get through. He grabbed out a piece of paper and began typing in the codes.

The inside of the ring was glowing red while the symbols around the ring began to glow blue. The ring also began to turn clockwise. After a few minutes, the inside of the ring changed to a shade of blue while the symbols turned red. The ring stopped turning clockwise and began to rapidly turn counter clockwise. Eventually, three figures made their way off the ramp.

Maxwell was about to go over to them to ask about the situation when he saw they weren't the ones he had been expecting. Instead, the three people meeting him were Mary, Mia, and Henry. Reverend Maxwell gave Mia a questioning look while he unconsciously placed his hand over the hilt of his blade.

"Calm down. I can explain, Reverend," Mia said as she took a step forward. She let out a breath and began to speak of the events that had taken place.

* * *

Rosette sighed, wondering what time it was. She never did wear a watch and she couldn't get a view of the sky without leaving the cave and going back into the lake. She couldn't get wet again and doing so would most likely cause her to catch a cold. And then there was, of course, the risk of being caught by Aion and his croons. She would have to stay with Joshua, at least until they returned to the Order where she then could leave her brother knowing he was safe and protected.

Rosette looked down at her dress and frowned. She definitely hated wearing dark colors and it only made her feel as though she was mourning when, in fact, she wasn't. Now was a time to be happy and wearing black wasn't making her feel that way. She shook her head and watched the flames, her brother still sound asleep next to her.

_Chrno... Where are you?_ Rosette thought and closed her eyes. _We need you._

* * *

Aion sighed as he and the others were within the dining room, drinking and eating. He and everyone had been searching for the two teenage Apostles all day and what had they gotten out of all of it? Nothing. There wasn't a trace of them. It seemed the two did well to not leave behind a trail. Aion drank some of his wine, a frown creasing his lips. Eve_n after all these years, she's still a nuisance. She doesn't remember a thing from her past life, but she seems to remember this place in the far corners of her mind even if she doesn't realize it. Perhaps she also remembers everything in the far reaches of her mind and has yet to realize it. It is quite obvious by the way she's been acting. _

He looked out the window. _Does she realize yet that she is fighting a losing battle? That she may think she and Chrno will defeat me, but, in the end, the fact is I'll continue to live while she and her beloved demon will die? Or is this simply Fate's cruel way of dealing the same cards as before, wanting to make them both suffer?_ Aion turned his attention to Arachnia and Emerald, seeing them both argue. He chuckled slightly then smiled. _We will know in the near future._

* * *

Reverend Maxwell stared at Mia, Mary, and Henry, his face filled with evident shock at what all of them had gone through. He quickly regained his composure and smiled sadly. "I see. So, you believe Chrno's really dead?"

"It was Lord Dufou and his army, Reverend," Henry explained. "Sure we put up a fight when it was all of us together, but with him fighting them alone..."

"The chances of him being dead are far more likely than him still being within the world of the living," Mary said, her gaze upon the ground.

"He sacrificed himself so we could save Rosette. Let's not make his death be in vain," Mia said somewhat determinedly.

Maxwell nodded in agreement. "But before you three leave, it is best you see Tracie first."

Mia, Mary, and Henry all exchanged glances then nodded as they followed Maxwell towards the Elder's house.

* * *

Chrno flew around the sky for what most have been several hours. To him, the day seemed endless and tiring. He still hadn't caught sight of the ship, he was becoming extremely tired, and he was draining Rosette's life force still! He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to get in contact with Rosette but to no avail. He opened his eyes and growled as his hands turning into fists, his claws digging deep into his skin. At this rate, Rosette was probably going to die the following day! He wouldn't let that happen. He wasn't going to lose her again.

* * *

Rosette watched the water, kneeling down over it. She was still very close to where she could see Joshua and feel the warmth of the fire. She sighed and placed both of her hands in the lake then splashed her face with it. She shivered slightly from its freezing temperature and backed up a bit. Her eyelids were feeling heavier by the minute and she felt as though she'd pass out any minute. Rosette pulled the watch out and looked down at it. She watched as the second hand slowly ticked by. Her eyes slightly widened with disbelief. She didn't want to believe it and thought it highly impossible, but if it truly was real, then that meant she didn't have much longer to live. She closed her eyes as she clutched the watch closer to her chest. Tears filled her eyes as she bit her lower lip.

_Chrno, I don't want to die. Not yet. Please save me. Please be here soon,_ Rosette thought desperately as she began to slightly tremble. Rather it was from fear or the cold, she couldn't quite tell. She just hoped that if she had to die, that she'd be able to see Chrno one last time and that Joshua wouldn't witness her death.

* * *

Tracie pieced wires together, melted metal into one another, and took out wires as she worked upon her invention. She was in the middle of sawing some metal when she heard the door open. She stopped her task and looked up to see Reverend Maxwell had come in along with Mia, Mary, and Henry. She raised an eyebrow and went over to the four, cleaning her dirty hands.

"Can I help you?" Tracie asked and gave the two demons an inquiring look.

Maxwell nodded. "Have you finished the communicators yet?"

Tracie looked from Mia to each of the two demons until she turned her attention back to the reverend. She nodded as a smile spread across her face. "Yep. Got them all set up and everything. Not sure if they'll work, but it's worth a shot, right?" She went over to a pile of metal and hardware then began searching through it.

Reverend Maxwell, Mia, Mary, and Henry all sweatdropped as they watched Tracie search, the four of them moving to the side occasionally to avoid any flying objects the young genius threw over her shoulder in their direction.

Tracie let out a cry of victory as she turned around holding up about twenty small circular devices that all had a cross in the center of them. Their colors all varied ranging from black and white to blue and green, the cross being golden on all of them. She held out four to them all. "You can wear them like pins on your shirts or whatever. You can put them in your hair. Hang them on your purse. The possibilities are endless. All you have to do is press the cross in. It's like a small button except no one would take notice to the fact because once you press the button in it will instantly pop right out afterwards. No one will ever know. And, of course, you speak into it. Though, it's not physically, mind you. Don't want people thinking you're talking to yourself. Instead it creates a mental link between your mind and the person or persons' minds you wish to speak with. It doesn't matter what dimensional world you're in or different galaxy or whatever. I call it Speaking Emergency Transferal Dimensional Communicator or S.E.T.D.C. for short."

"Umm... Thank you. I guess," Mary said and grabbed a ribbon from her pocket. She made the light green ribbon into a headband and put it on, the bow being at the side of her head. She then pinned the small communicator onto the bow and smiled.

Henry raised an eyebrow then pinned the communicator onto his shirt.

Mia eyed the small device then hid it under her right elbow pad.

Reverend Maxwell pinned the S.E.T.D.C. onto his shirt. "What were you working on, Tracie?"  
"Something," Tracie said and shrugged, pinning her device onto her skirt. "It's a surprise." She winked then went back to work.

Maxwell only shook his head and smiled as he left the house, Mia, Mary, and Henry following him. "There's something I must let you three know before you leave."

"What is it?" Mia asked, crossing her arms.

"I want you three to go check out this area of Michigan. It seems the forest has been where the opening of a portal from our world to Pandemonium has been occurring the most," Reverend Maxwell explained.

The two demons and human exchanged glances then turned their attention back to Maxwell.

"Mission accepted!" Mia said cheerfully while her worries for Rosette nagged at her mind.

Maxwell smiled slightly and nodded. "Very well. You three are dismissed." With that said, he returned to the dimensional portal watching the laptop once more.

Henry picked Mia up around the waist then took off into the air, Mary flying beside him.

* * *

Rosette sighed deeply as her tiredness began to overcome her. She lied down on her side, her eyelids becoming increasingly heavier. She eventually closed her eyes and softly said, "Chrno..." before falling into a deep sleep...

* * *

I'm TRYING to get this Chrno Crusade episode DVD set that has all the episodes on it. Not only then will I get to actually watch the show then, but it'll also help me to improve this fic. Anyways, please tell me what you thought about this and thank you once again for all the reviews, everyone!


	9. Death and Hope

Ruby-dream: Errrmmm... Read the chapter to know what happens next. And the next chapter will be far better and happier!

Ayumi Yoshino: Yeah. I just found that out. He'll come. Soon.

Evilanimeblond22: I'll try to keep them as good and long as possible.

CrystallineX: Glad you're enjoying the fic so far.

* * *

**Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning**

**By:**

**Guardian Angel of Innocence**

**Chapter Nine: Death and Hope**

Chrno flew down and landed on the ground gracefully. He folded his wings back and walked up to the portal. He didn't know how he could sense it, but he felt that Rosette wasn't going to live to see the following day. He shook his head_. It's just my imagination. That's all._ He walked through the ring.

* * *

"Umm... Mia, one question," Mary said as she and Henry continued to fly in the sky. "Where exactly is Michigan and this forest?"

Mia sweatdropped and grabbed out a map, handing it to Mary. "It's that one. We're bound to run into the forest anyway. I think you'll at least sense the demon aura there."

Mary looked at the map and nodded. "Okay. But, damn, that's a long way from here." She looked towards Henry. "Better keep a good grip on her. We're going to have to go at top speed."

Henry nodded in agreement, his grip on Mia tightening as him and Mary increased their speed greatly.

Mia let out a yelp and wrapped her arms around Henry's neck, hiding her face in his chest.

Henry chuckled from her reaction while Mary rolled her eyes.

* * *

Joshua woke up from a slight breeze that had found its way into the cave. He looked around questioningly for the source of the wind, but found no hole. He shook his head and stood up weakly then went over to his sleeping sister's side. He smiled slightly and picked his sister up then carried her closer to the fire, but not too close so she wouldn't be burned. He gently put her back on the ground then eyed the watch around her neck curiously. His eyes then widened in realization.

Flashback

Joshua moved some boxes to the side and coughed from the dust that floated up in the air.

"Joshua, you okay?" Rosette's concerned voice asked.

Joshua looked over in the direction his sister was in and nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine." He raised an eyebrow as Rosette looked through a box full of books. "Rosette, what's with the really old looking watch?"

Rosette looked down at her necklace then looked towards her brother. "It's, errrmm... I like it so I'm keeping it." She stuck out her tongue.

Joshua shook his head and turned his attention back to the dusty shelves.

End Flashback

"You shouldn't have found it, though. Or kept it for that matter," Joshua muttered below his breath.

Flashback

Joshua walked into the garage, having left an hour ago to rest. He raised an eyebrow when he saw that his sister was caught up in a very old book. He went up to her, keeping silent while he did so. He then peered over her shoulder. His eyes widened when he saw on the page Rosette was looking at was the watch she still wore around her neck. He read paragraph after paragraph, learning of the contract and what it did to the contractor's life force if it were made.

Rosette placed the book to the side, obviously intending to keep it.

"Rosette, I really think you should sell that old piece of junk," Joshua said, eyeing the necklace as though it were an evil monster.

"I said no. I want to keep it," Rosette said and placed a hand over the watch.

Joshua sighed and shook his head, knowing he wouldn't be able to convince his sister due to her stubbornness.

End Flashback

"You shouldn't have made the contract. Not when you knew of the risks, Rosette. Now you're going to die an early death," Joshua said softly as he watched the second hand slowly tick by.

* * *

"There!" Mia cried and pointed a finger at the forest below her, Mary, and Henry.

The two demons nodded and began to descend. Once they had reached the ground, Henry released Mia. The three began looking around and came to a halt when they spotted Eden II. The group quickly hid behind a tree as they watched Arachnia pace back and forth in front of the ship.

Arachnia stopped for a second and looked in the direction the three were in. She shook her head and went back to her pacing.

"Mrow. My nose still hurts," Emerald said as she walked out of the ship.

"That's your fault for letting that Apostle catch you off guard," Arachnia said coldly.

"It wasn't my fault!" Emerald protested.

"Yes, it was. Now both Apostles are missing!" Arachnia said.

Mia, Mary, and Henry exchanged glances.

"Rosette got free?" Mia asked.

"That appears to be the case," Mary whispered.

"Who would the other Apostle be?" Henry asked.

"Beats me," Mia whispered.

Mary shrugged. "We'll know once we see Rosette, I guess."

Henry and Mia both nodded and the three turned around to go off in search of Rosette when they saw that a group of demons had blocked their way.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Arachnia asked as she took a step forward.

Henry, Mary, and Mia all watched the group of demons intently as they got ready to grab out their weapons.

* * *

Maxwell leaned back in the chair and placed his hands behind his head. It wasn't until he heard the ring begin to spin clockwise that he began to type in the codes needed. The symbols glowed red while the inside of it glowed blue again. After a few minutes, the ring began to rapidly spin counter clockwise, the symbols glowing blue and the inside of the ring glowing red. One figure came down the ramp.

Reverend Maxwell's eyes widened in disbelief. "Chrno?! Is that you?!"

Chrno looked towards Maxwell. "Of course it's me. Why do you find it..." He trailed off when he caught the scents of Mia, Mary, and Henry. "Why were Mia, Mary, and Henry here?"

"They informed me of the events that had taken place," Reverend Maxwell explained. "They mistook you for dead, that you had sacrificed your life in order to save Rosette's. Apparently they were mistaken."

"It's fine," Chrno said and shook his head. "Where did they go?"

"I sent them to Michigan," Maxwell said. "I believe you will find that area to be very familiar to you." He grabbed out a map and pointed to the forest the portal had opened more than once.

Chrno's eyes widened slightly. "I... See. Then... I will go." He flew up into the air, feeling somewhat heartbroken. He began to fly in the direction of his destination.

* * *

Rosette weakly opened her eyes, the world seeming to spin around her. She groaned and put a hand to her head. "What's wrong with me?"

"Welcome, Rosette Maryanne Christopher," a voice said.

Rosette looked up to see a man offering his hand out, him wearing clothes that a conductor would normally wear. She took his hand and staggered slightly as she tried to stand and keep her balance. The world stopped spinning showing her that she was at a train station. She couldn't see much since it was densely foggy, but she could see people walking to the trains, some children crying while they were dragged aboard.

Rosette looked around puzzled, not remembering even being near a train station. If she recalled correctly, she had passed out in the cave. Her eyes then widened in realization. She quickly turned her attention back to the conductor. "Am I dead?!"

"Is there anything you're forgetting, Miss?" the man asked.

"No. I don't think so, but-"

"Very well then. Please board before the train departs, Miss," the man continued, not allowing her to finish.

"Wait! Am I-" Before Rosette could continue, the passengers began to push and shove their way through onto the train, dragging her with them.

The man boarded the train afterwards and closed the doors.

"Wait!" Rosette cried out and tried to make her way through to the doors. Once she had, though, the train began to take off. She placed a hand over the ice-cold window as she watched the scenery begin to go by, tears filling her eyes.

* * *

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Arachnia said, eyeing their weapons.

"Well, you're not so there's really nothing you can do about it," Mia said and grabbed out her whip, hitting the ground in front of the spider demon.

Arachnia sent her a glare and began to form web in her hands.

Mary and Henry both unsheathed their blades and watched the group of demons as they began to close in on them.

"Any bright ideas?" Henry asked as he watched the demons closely.

"Fighting all of them is futile, but I refuse to run," Mary said.

"I'm not leaving your side," Henry said.

Mary looked towards Mia. "Go find Rosette. Henry and I will take care of this."

"You sure?" Mia asked, her expression filling with concern.

"Yes. I'm sure," Mary said then charged after the onslaught of demons. She swung her blade horizontally and jumped back so she wasn't caught by the webbing Arachnia had shot at her.

Henry watched as the demons began to run towards him and Mia. He fought them off with his blade while grabbing out an ax and throwing it at the demon that had been going after Mia, hitting it in its back.

Mia used the battling confusion to her advantage and began running away from the scene, intent on finding her best friend.

* * *

Joshua watched his sister anxiously. Rosette's skin had turned pale and her lips were ice blue. He took her hand in his. "Please don't die, Sister." Her hand was freezing cold. This caused him to begin to slightly panic. "Rosette! Don't die! Please don't die!" Tears began to roll down his cheeks as he began to sob.

* * *

Chrno heard the clashing of weapons and looked down to see he had arrived at the forest. He gracefully landed on the ground then went to investigate the scene. What he saw was Mary and Henry fighting Arachnia and a group of demons. This led him to wonder where Mia was since she had been with the two. He looked up ahead to see Eden II. _Rosette!_ He took a step forward then stopped when he found her scent was actually very faint. _She... Ran away?_ He smiled slightly then turned around and began going in the direction Rosette's scent led him in.

_Be careful,_ Mary told him telepathically. _Henry and I will be fine. As soon as you get Rosette, tell us and then we'll flee._

_Right,_ Chrno told her and left the scene.

* * *

Rosette watched the trees as the train passed each of them. A few tears found their way down her cheeks. She looked down at the ground, trying to keep herself from crying.

_Rosette!_ a voice cried.

Rosette looked out the window, her eyes widening. "Chrno?!" She didn't see him anywhere in sight, but she had heard his voice within her mind. "Chrno! Can you hear me?!" _Please say yes. Oh, please say yes._ She began biting on her lower lip. Her gaze fell to the ground when she didn't hear a reply.

* * *

Mia ran pass the trees trying not to trip over roots or crash into any branches. Sweat was pouring down her face and her legs were beginning to ache while her lungs told her they needed more time to breathe. She ignored the pain, however, and continued to run. That is until a rather tall demon jumped in her way, holding up his large blade. Mia's eyes widened and she took a step back, watching the blade. She quickly grabbed out her gun and pointed it at the demon. "What do you want and what's with the knight clothes? You're definitely not _my_ knight in shiny armor."

The demon smirked. "You obviously do not know who I am. I am Jenai."

"No shit, Sherlock," Mia said. "Now tell what in the seven hells you want!"

"I want you to take me to the Apostles," the demon said.

"Not even in this life time nor the next and so on forth, pal," Mia said and shot her gun.

The demon held up his blade and blocked the bullet. "You will have to if you wish to continue living."

"I'd rather die than give up my best friend," Mia sneered and fired her gun again.

* * *

Rosette sighed and sat down, her gaze still on the ground. Her eyes widened as memories she never knew she had began to come to her all at once. She saw the final battle between Aion and Chrno, saw that the Rosette Chrno once knew hadn't actually died and had just passed out, saw that the two were supposed to die six months after the incident after the sun had set, saw that the two had been buried together, saw that Chrno hadn't died and had gotten free of his grave only to travel the world in deep depression, saw that Chrno wanted several times to die so he could be united with Rosette, and then... She saw him smile and her heart skipped a beat. It was that day when she had first met him. She had been writing the back to Chrno and Chrno had been watching her, smiling slightly. She hadn't caught him watching her since by the time she had turned around to pass the note again, Chrno had quickly looked away.

Rosette saw everything from there on and then it all ended with Chrno running through the forest in his true form. Her eyes widened when she realized that was the forest Aion and the others were in. Chrno's expression held desperation and determination in it. _He's... Searching for me?_ She stood up instantly and ran towards the end of the train. _I have to get back somehow before he finds me! I won't have him go through that pain again!_ The visions began going through her head once again starting off when Chrno had met Magdalene and ending before the final battle with Aion began. _I'm the reincarnation of Magdalene and Rosette. I'm also an Apostle. But I won't allow Aion to win this time. Neither Chrno nor I will die and Aion's reign of terror will end!_

Rosette pushed pass several people, opening the doors to the next cart whenever she came across one. She finally reached the final cart and opened the door, going over to the railing. The ground was covered in snow as well as the trees around her. The air was at a freezing temperature causing her to shiver slightly. _I have no clue where I am, but I'm not staying here._

"Miss, please come inside," a man's voice said.

Rosette turned around to see it was the same conductor from earlier. She glared at him and shook her head. "I refuse to. I'm not leaving Chrno again!"

The man was taken aback by this. He smiled slightly. "Your soul never changes no matter how many times it's reincarnated. You can come back, but you'll have to go through the process of reincarnation again meaning you will have no memory of the events that have taken place nor any memory of the ones you regained."

Rosette's determination faltered as she looked down at the ground. "It'll be too late by then. And I'll make Chrno depressed again." Tears filled her eyes. "By the time I've met him again, it'll probably be too late. The world will be gone and there's nothing I can do." She shook her head and fell to her knees, beginning to sob.

The man smiled sadly and hugged her, trying to comfort her. "If you like, we will start to send memories to your reincarnated soul once it has reached the age of four. By then, you would have had your full memory by the age of ten. The future will hold a great many things for you and it will be quite tough, but this is the way it must be. The reason you have died again now was it was needed to shape the way things will turn out in the future. I fear you will not like it much, but this was your mission for this lifetime. The next will be much happier, trust me." He smiled again.

Rosette growled and punched the man in the face causing him to crash into the door. "I don't want to die now, you idiot! I don't care how the future looks! I won't have Chrno stay in pain until I somehow meet him again and that won't happen until I'm at least the age of twelve! Twelve years of making him suffer alone! The only one who should suffer is me, not him!"

The man shook his head. "You always somehow have the same violent reaction to this news whenever I give it to you. At least as Magdalene, you weren't as such."

"I was locked up in the Order never being able to leave until Chrno supposedly kidnapped me and took me to Aion. I had much more fun being free, but I wasn't as violent because I never had to protect anyone or ever was given the chance. As Rosette-the one from one hundred and something years ago-I was given that chance and that turned me into the person I am today since that lifetime might as well have repeated itself!" Rosette said.

The man shook his head again and stood up. "You can try and leave, but you will only start where you last began."

Rosette was confused somewhat by that statement as the man left, unsure if he meant she would end up at the train station again or if she would be reincarnated. She sighed and shook her head. _If I stay here, Chrno's going to suffer anyway. At least reincarnated, I have a chance to heal those wounds much faster._ She jumped off the train, going through the snowy ground...

* * *

Chrno continued to run through the forest and came to a halt when he had reached a lake. He looked down at it, his reflection being shown to him. He suddenly felt his energy began to waver, his eyes widening from realization. _Rosette!_ He dived into the water and began swimming through it towards the cave. _You better have not died! Better be alive!_ He swam up to the surface once he had reached the inside of the cave. He quickly ran over to Joshua and Rosette's side when he had spotted the two.

"She's gone..." Joshua said quietly.

Chrno looked over at Joshua to see he had been crying. He felt tears fill his eyes but shook his head. "No. She's alive." He hugged Rosette's limp body and held her close to him. "She won't give in so easily, not when we can have another chance together."

"She's gone, gone forever," Joshua said quietly.

"Hello, Chrno. Thank you very much for leading me to the Apostle," a voice said.

Chrno and Joshua turned around to see Aion standing there, though, he was wet from swimming in the lake to the cave.

Chrno growled. "Aion!" He gently lied Rosette back down and stood up, his hands turning to fists.

"You lost yet again, Chrno. Face it, no matter how many times Magdalene's soul is reincarnated, she will still die and leave you behind," Aion said. "The first time was my fault, yes. The second and third, however, were entirely your fault. You made the same mistakes twice by forming a contract with her. You also made the same three mistakes by falling in love with her. This is what happens because of those mistakes." He shook his head. "Chrno, mistakes are to learned from so you do not repeat them. Obviously, you have not learned from any of them. Do you really think she will come back a fourth time just for your sake? I highly doubt it."

Chrno growled and lunged forward, tackling Aion. He then began to claw at him repeatedly.

Joshua gulped and picked his sister up, going in the corner as he watched Aion and Chrno begin to fight one another. He felt tears fill his eyes and held his sister close to him. "Rosette... I'm scared. Make it stop." His eyes slightly widened when he found that she had her guns. He took one of them then loaded it and pointed it at the two fuming demons. Blinded by his grief and hatred towards the two, he fired the gun, which had been loaded with gospel bullets. He fired it repeatedly.

Aion and Chrno both separated and turned their attention to Joshua.

Chrno's eyes widened. "Joshua! Stop firing! You're going to cause the cave to crumble!"

Aion glared at Joshua. "Stop this at once! You will kill us all!"

Joshua didn't seem to hear the two and continued firing the holy weapon.

Aion growled and charged towards the young boy, but Chrno quickly grabbed the demon by the ankles causing them both to fall to the ground.

"Joshua! Stop!" Chrno cried as the bullets burned him and Aion. He winced as his mind went back to the question Aion had asked, "Do you really think she will come back a fourth time just for your sake? I highly doubt it." He growled. "I don't doubt it. Love has never kept us apart for long." _I will continue to live if it means the chance of seeing her again._

Joshua stopped when he heard what Chrno had said, his eyes widening slightly. He smiled. _She'll return._ He looked over at his dead sister. _And she'd hate it if I were to die here._ He stood up and was about to pick his sister's body up when he heard Chrno shout out his name. Before he could do or say anything, Aion had knocked him out.

Chrno growled and stood up again. He was about to charge after Aion when Aion shook his head.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Aion said and smirked slightly.

"And why's that?!" Chrno demanded.

"One, you're wasting your energy and won't be able to see Rosette if she returns by doing so," Aion explained. "And, two, your friends will be harmed if you do not stop." He pointed his clawed finger behind Chrno.

Chrno turned around to see Jenai holding an unconscious Mia and Arachnia holding an unconscious Mary and Henry. He sighed in defeat and looked down at the ground, his hands turning to fists. He would give in... For now.

* * *

Yeah. Yeah. I know. You all hate me for killing Rosette and I wasn't sure if I was going to put this chapter up since I wasn't sure if it would work through to give me the next chapter how I wanted it. However, it turned out to work out after all.

Sneak Peak:

Rose walked down the silent halls and yawned. She rubbed one of her eyes. "I'm tired. I really need to get more rest." She saw Chrno walk out of her father's room and frowned. She went up to him and smiled. "Hey. What did Dad want? And you had better tell me or your head will be in a world of hurting."

Chrno sweatdropped from the threat and shook his head. "You'll never change."

"Of course I won't change! Now answer me!" Rose cried.

"He... Let's just say there won't be any need for that old watch of yours," Chrno said.

"What...?" Rose asked and looked down at the old watch around her neck. "I know you have your horns and all, but... Aion could just take them away from you like he did last time." She looked back at him. "I know you'll try to prevent him from doing so, but he may be able to sooner or later. I don't want to leave your side, Chrno, but I won't have you die."

"Rose, I won't lose you again," Chrno said, his expression changing to a saddened one.

"I won't leave you, not again," Rose said firmly. "Not even Aion, death, or God will keep me away from you." With that said, she walked pass him and went to her room.

And please don't forget to review and tell me what you think. Thank you very much in advance.


	10. Final Reincarnation

Sorry for the super long wait everyone! I've been having writer's block and stuff! It's evil. Anyways, thank you all for reviewing and waiting patiently. I hope all of you guys enjoy this chappie.

AS: Glad you enjoyed it.

evilanimeblond22: I'll try. Lol. Though, it is pretty hard since I've been getting writer's block a whole lot. XX That and school.

Chobit 00: Lol. Gomen ne. But I updated, see! Lol. So, please dun kill me.

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* * *

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**Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning**

**By:**

**Guardian Angel of Innocence**

**Chapter Ten: Final Reincarnation**

"Rose, what have I said about hurting other children?" Sister June asked, raising an eyebrow.

"But she stole my Little Mermaid Barbie!" the five year old girl protested, her long light brown hair being in a braid that reached her waist. She wore a light green dress that reached her knees, white socks, and black dress shoes.

"That Barbie wasn't stolen, Rose," Sister June said. "You were the one that had taken it, if I am correct."

Rose stuck out her tongue and left the classroom. The Magdalan Order had changed quite a bit since Rosette had died five years ago. Not many people resided within it anymore now that Aion had taken over both, Pandemonium and Earth. He was the ruler of both worlds and if he found out that the Order still existed, everyone within it would be killed.

Rose went over to the window of her room, gazing out of it. The sky was dark and the smell of ashes was all over the air as well as the scent of death and decay. It sickened her, but there wasn't much she could do, not at the moment. _I might be small now, but when I become older, I will stop Aion!_ She turned around only to bump into someone. She looked up to see a blonde head man looking down at her, smiling gently.

The man messed with her hair slightly. "Go to bed. And try not to steal anyone else's Barbie no matter how they look." He chuckled slightly.

"Yes, Father Remington!" Rose said quickly and smiled cheerfully.

Yuan Remington just shook his head. "The other children might call me that, but you have no need to call me that, remember?" He chuckled.

"Well... I know, but it _is_ kind of weird having an angel thingy for a dad," Rose said and crossed her arms.

Remington shook his head and messed with her hair once again. "Go to bed, Rose, before your mother comes in and starts scolding me."

"Awwwwwwwww," Rose said and groaned. "Fine." She ran off to bed.

Yuan shook his head and looked out the window, watching the gloomy scene. _Chrno, she will return very soon. I promise._

* * *

Seven Years Later... 

"Dad! Can I come?! Please?!" Rose begged her father. She was now twelve years old, her long brown hair being in two pigtails. She wore blue jeans, light pink belt, sky blue blouse, and tennis shoes.

"You're still too young," Remington said as he sheathed his holy blade.

"But Dad!!!!!!!!" Rose protested.

"I said no," Yuan said firmly and began walking out of the room.

Rose growled and waited for her father to leave. After he had gone, she went into the armory and grabbed two guns, strapping each of them to the side of her belt. She then slowly followed her father as he walked down an alley. She quickly hid behind a trashcan.

A figure stepped out of the shadows.

Rose's eyes widened slightly as she watched her father and the figure-demon-converse with one another. She scanned the demon from head to toe, taking in the information needed. She stopped when she caught a glimpse of the demon's face. _It's him! The guy from my dreams! _She stood up instantly when she saw her father grab out his blade. "Chrno!"

Remington and Chrno both turned their attention to the young brown head girl, her brown hazel eyes filled with realization and something akin to love.

"How does she...?" Chrno asked, not finishing the sentence.

"Rose! I said you couldn't come! What part of that didn't you understand?!" Yuan cried.

"The part about not coming?" Rose asked, smiling sheepishly.

Yuan sighed and shook his head.

Chrno raised an eyebrow as he eyed the girl. He would have mistaken her for Rosette if it wasn't for the fact she had different colored hair and eyes. "How do you know my name?"

Rose turned her attention away from Remington and focused it on Chrno. "I'm Rose Allison Remington, reincarnation of Mary Magdalene and both Rosette Christophers."

Chrno's eyes widened while his thoughts became all jumbled up. _She knows! How does she know?! And why does she have to have brown hair and brown eyes? And..._

Yuan gave Rose a questioning look. He knew she had been a reincarnation all along, but he never actually thought she knew!

Rose frowned as she watched the two men. "Dad, put your sword away. I'm sure Chrno has his reasons for working with Aion."

"I didn't have much of a choice," Chrno muttered and looked down at the ground.

Remington watched his daughter for a few seconds then looked towards Chrno, sheathing his blade. "I will not fight you in front of Rose. This... Soon to be battle will have to be postponed for now."

Rose glared at her father. "Dad, I'm not letting either of you fight each other. The reason he works for that creep, Aion, is because he threatened to harm his friends if he didn't. And before you ask about that, Mia, Mary, and Henry were those three friends he had used to reel in Chrno." She glared at the ground as her hands turned to fists. "I'm sorry I had to die again, Chrno. I didn't want to make you fall into depression again. I tried to return, but... I had to be reincarnated."

Chrno watched her and turned into his smaller form, his horns no longer visible as Aion had returned them to him. He ran over to Rose and hugged her tightly. "Rose, I've missed you so much."

Rose smiled warmly and hugged him back. "You've been in my dreams all my life. They ended when I turned ten. They were memories of my past lives. Ever since then, my dreams of you were focused on the present time. They showed me everything you were going through."

Remington crossed his arms and shook his head, going over to the two. "Chrno, you may stay at the Order, again, but we need to talk privately." He directed the last word towards Rose who stubbornly crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue.

Chrno nodded and followed Remington as he led the way while talking to Rose at the same time.

"Chrno, I don't want you to form a contract with Rose," Remington said as he looked out the window.

"I wouldn't have done it with the previous Rosette, but she has a very strong will and she's really stubborn," Chrno said quietly. "But I have my horns back so we won't have to worry about that for some time."

Yuan turned to face the small demon. "Yes and this one's just as stubborn and willful as the last, but you can't form a contract with her. My daughter will not share the same tragic fate."

Chrno nodded in understanding. "Then I will do what it takes to convince her out of it."

* * *

Rose walked down the silent halls and yawned. She rubbed one of her eyes. "I'm tired. I really need to get more rest." She saw Chrno walk out of her father's room and frowned. She went up to him and smiled. "Hey. What did Dad want? And you had better tell me or your head will be in a world of hurting." 

Chrno sweatdropped from the threat and shook his head. "You'll never change."

"Of course I won't change! Now answer me!" Rose cried.

"He... Let's just say there won't be any need for that old watch of yours," Chrno said.

"What...?" Rose asked and looked down at the old watch around her neck. "I know you have your horns and all, but... Aion could just take them away from you like he did last time." She looked back at him. "I know you'll try to prevent him from doing so, but he may be able to sooner or later. I don't want to leave your side, Chrno, but I won't have you die."

"Rose, I won't lose you again," Chrno said, his expression changing to a saddened one.

"I won't leave you, not again," Rose said firmly. "Not even Aion, death, or God will keep me away from you." With that said, she walked pass him and went to her room.

* * *

Four Years Later... 

"Dammit!" Rose cried out as she quickly rolled to the side and fired her gun several times at the demon that had tried to strike her down.

The demon roared and swung its large clawed hand at her. She quickly jumped back and threw her gun to the side then grabbed out another one, loading it with sacred bullets. She began firing it once again.

"What the hell is taking you so long?!" Rose demanded as she began running away from the poisonous vapors the demon spat out of its mouth. She was now sixteen years old and had cut her hair to shoulder length while also dying it blonde. While at the age of fifteen, she had found out she needed glasses, but she decided they looked too goofy on her and, so, had gotten colored contact lenses, blue no less. Chrno had once told her she was looking like the Rosette he had known all those years ago, but she just told him he was imagining things. However, her outfit she was wearing as well as the weapons she was wielding were beginning to make her believe what he had said since she was wearing the same nun outfit Rosette had worn. She shook her head. _He's just starting to get to me, that's all._

_It's not that easy, you know,_ Chrno told her telepathically. He was hidden within the shadows on top of the staircase, watching the demon that was attacking Rose through narrowed eyes. He was in his true form and was waiting for the right moment to strike down the strong Legion.

_Then try to make it easier. Sheesh,_ Rose told him and let out a cry when she tripped over a piece of rubble that had fallen from the ceiling. "Dammit!" She quickly got up and rolled to the side to barely dodge the demon's claw.

The demon let out a furious roar and began running towards her at an incredible speed.

Rose's eyes widened out of surprise and a bit of fear. She gritted her teeth and began firing her gun multiple times, but it didn't seem to slow the demon down. She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself for the pain she would feel. However, it never came. She opened one eye to see Chrno standing in front of her, his wings spread out. She opened both her eyes and saw that Chrno was holding off the legion. She reached into her pockets, grabbing out a small silver titanium bullet. She quickly placed it in her gun and aimed at the demon, being sure not to hit Chrno. _Okay, Elder, let's see what you made me. _She pulled the trigger and released the bullet.

Chrno winced slightly as the small bullet zoomed pass him, its holy aura slightly burning his cheek. He quickly picked up Rose up bridal style and flew up towards the ceiling.

The bullet hit the demon and created a huge explosion, a great bright blue holy aura surrounding the demon.

Rose's eyes widened and she looked towards Chrno with concern evident across her face. Chrno didn't need to take a hint to know where she was getting at and quickly flew out of the building and high up into the sky. The skyscraper began crumbling, its windows shattering as it did so, the holy aura breaking through them.

"Damn..." Rose said almost breathlessly. "What was in that bullet?"

"Strong holy energy, that's for sure," Chrno said quietly.

The two watched as the building finally stopped crumbling, the dust being sent up into the air and around the buildings.

Rose coughed and hid her face in Chrno's chest so that she didn't breathe in the dust and get any of it in her eyes.

Chrno held her close while squinting his eyes to see through the dust, trying to see if the demon had survived that, though, he doubted that very much.

Once the dust had cleared, Chrno landed gracefully on the ground, in front of the remains of the building. He gently placed Rose down on he ground.

Rose took a few steps forward, looking around. "Damn... Not even a sign of blood or body parts are left." She spun around and looked towards Chrno, a smirk placed upon her face. "Who rules? I do!"

Chrno smiled and shook his head as he turned into his adult form. He went over to her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "Come on. Let's go. I'm sure Remington's worried sick."

"Once he sees the damage I caused, I don't think he'll be so worried," Rose said and smiled nervously. "He'll probably ground me for life instead." She rolled her eyes.

Chrno chuckled slightly and shook his head. "Maybe, but there were no casualties."

"That's because everyone fears Aion," Rose said and frowned. "The humans dare not to challenge someone of 'higher' power, demons won't face someone like him because he's really powerful, next to you anyway; and the Order has very few members now. It might as well be none existent."

"That'll change, trust me," Chrno said, smiling slightly. "Once they see how great a fighter you are, they'll all instantly see that they have hope again and will be by our side once more."

"At least until Aion's gone. Then they'll think I'm their queen or something," Rose said as she began to walk in the direction of the Order. "Then they'll be all gloomy-like again." She shook her head. "I'll give them hope. I'll get rid of their pain. But I won't be their ruler."

Chrno followed her. "There will have to be a new ruler of Pandemonium. Aion's killed Dufou so he's out of the question. The world only has one ruler and that's Aion."

"The world can have its leaders back again. It's really tough having only one ruler and that ruler ruling everyone and everything within the world. Obviously, it's no big deal for Aion because everyone's scared as hell of him," Rose said. "As for Pandemonium, do you seriously believe they'll be happy with a human leading them? Or, more so, an Apostle? The Saint of the Apostles?! I highly doubt it. Plus, their king would be a Sinner." She smirked slightly. "I don't think they'll be too happy about that either."

Chrno blushed slightly and shook his head. "Just what are you suggesting by the king being a Sinner?" He smirked.

Rose blinked a few times as she came to a stop in her steps. Her eyes then widened in realization as a blush slowly creeped its way across her face. "Uhh... I meant..." Her blush deepened several shades of red and she began to walk on ahead at a great speed.

"You meant...?" Chrno asked as he walked by her side, easily keeping up with her.

"I meant... Oh! Here we are! I have to go talk to Father now! I'll talk to you afterwards!" Rose said and smiled as she ran into the building.

Chrno shook his head and entered the building.

* * *

"Rose, you destroyed the building... Again," Remington said and shook his head as he sat down at his desk. 

"But I'm still alive," Rose said, smiling. "And no innocent people were killed or harmed. Plus, the demon's gone."

"I worry about you, Rose," Yuan said.

"Look, I might be your daughter and all that stuff, but I can take care of myself," Rose said, crossing her arms.

"It is because you are my daughter that I worry for you," Remington said.

"I have Chrno," Rose said. "Anyways, Chrno's probably waiting for me. Talk to you later, Dad." She walked out of the room.

Yuan sighed and shook his head as he stacked a few papers together. "She'll never change."

* * *

Chrno sat down on his bed, his legs crossed. He frowned when he saw that the TV still wasn't working since Aion had gotten rid of all the stations. He turned the TV off and threw the remote to the side. He heard a knock on the door and turned his attention to it. "Come in." He smiled when he saw Rose slowly enter the room, closing the door behind her. 

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Rose said, smiling. "Dad was being a worrywart again." She rolled her eyes and went over to Chrno, sitting down beside him.

"He's your father. It's kind of his job to worry about you," Chrno said.

"That maybe so, but he definitely worries too much. I can take care of myself," Rose said and crossed her arms. "I have all the bullets needed. I have the holy water. I have-"

"Don't you think you should go see the Elder about that bullet you used?" Chrno asked.

"I completely forgot about it!" Rose cried and stood up. "Come on!" She grabbed Chrno by the wrist and began dragging him out of the room before he could do or say anything. She ran down the halls and down the stairs. She finally came to a halt in front of a room.

Chrno smiled then turned his attention to the closed door.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Knock!" Rose said, smiling.

Chrno sweatdropped and knocked on the door.

The door opened, a short elderly man standing in front of the two, wearing strange goggles.

Chrno frowned. He would never get over how much he and the Elder he had known many years ago looked alike.

"Ahhh! Rose!" the man cried happily, smiling widely. "What is it you have come to me for?"

"That bullet that you gave me, exactly what was it filled with?" Rose asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Well..." the man began, pacing back and forth. "There is holy water in it, a strong amount, may I add. But, even more so, there is the holy aura of the Apostles within it."

"What?!" Rose and Chrno both cried out.

"How the hell did you gain access to their powers when Aion has all of them?!" Rose cried. _Except for one, but..._

The old man held a glint in his eyes while smirking. "It's quite simple. There is only one Apostle they don't have and that's you."

Rose's eyes narrowed. "And how exactly did you get my powers?"

"I snuck into your room one night and used one of my new inventions to open up the Astral Line that enables you to use your powers. I then sucked up some of that astral energy and used it to create that bullet. Now, if you want more..."

"Don't even think about it," Rose said and hit the old man over the head. "I know what goes through that head of yours, pervert."

The old man rubbed his head and frowned. "Rose, I can't believe you would think of me like that! I'm hurt!" He placed a hand over his heart.

"Give me a break," Rose said and rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows you're a pervert including yourself." She began leaving.

"I am not!" the Elder protested.

Chrno shook his head and followed Rose. "You really shouldn't be so hard on him."

"Oh, please. All the other girls don't even hurt the pervert. Yeah, they blush and everything, but they never actually do anything to save themselves from his lechery," Rose said, rolling her eyes.

"They're not as violent as you," Chrno said with a frown.

"That's why the Elder always gets the better of them," Rose said and grabbed an apple from a nearby Sister's hand, biting into it. "They never tell him to stop and stuff. Sure, they scream and shout insults, but do you actually think that works? No, it doesn't. So, the old guy assumes he can do as he pleases. Until someone puts him back in line, he'll continue to terrorize everyone."

Chrno shook his head and smiled. "Only you would use violence to straighten someone up."

Rose rolled her eyes as she threw the apple core away. She crossed her arms. "Hey, it works."

Chrno just smiled, remaining silent.

* * *

"Aion, you can't fulfill your plan without the final Apostle," Jenai said. 

"I am aware of that," Aion said quietly.

"And Chrno's betrayed us again. Been waiting for four years and the guy never returned from killing that fallen angel, Yuan Remington," Arachnia said coldly.

"He's always betraying us," Emerald muttered, her expression changing to a saddened one. "I don't think his heart can handle hurting innocent lives and those that he cares for. He is very passionate and obviously will go on a rampage due to his anger of the ones he cares for most getting hurt. That's why he's the Sinner of Anger."

"Nonetheless, he will have to suffer once more for what he has done," Aion said somewhat coldly. "The next time we meet, I will be sure that he dies permanently. There will not be another contract formed. I will be sure he dies before then." His grip upon his wine glass tightened to the extent of him almost shattering it.

"He can't have simply betrayed us due to meeting that fallen angel once more," Jenai said quietly. "There has to be a better explanation to it."

"Do you think...?" Emerald didn't finish the unanswered question, knowing full well she wouldn't have to.

"He left us again for the girl that was reincarnated once more," Arachnia said coldly.

"Once the girl is no longer use for us, she will die a very slow painful death. Of that I am sure," Aion said calmly, standing up. "Be sure that she isn't with Chrno when we kill him or else we could risk her making a contract with him."

"Don't worry. We will kidnap the girl by making a false alarm of a demon attacking innocent humans while sending out an invitation to Chrno, allowing him a chance to 'rescue' his friends. That's where you will fight him after 'killing' his companions off. He will be fueled by his outrage so be sure to be very careful while fighting him, Aion," Emerald said and crossed her arms. "Eventually, Chrno's energy will deplete from him using too much of it and that will be your chance to kill him. Simply remove his horns once more and get rid of them once and for all. Afterwards, immediately kill him. We all know how persistent that Apostle will be and if she somehow finds out our plan, she will obviously come running to the scene to save her beloved's life. That is why you must kill him as quickly as possible since we cannot run the risk of her making that contract once again."

Aion simply nodded to the plan Emerald had made then left the room, his expression slightly filled with grief.

* * *

Rose yawned and stretched out her arms. "Man, I'm tired. That demon got me totally exhausted." 

"Go to bed," Chrno said as he flipped through the nonworking channels once more. The two were within Rosette's old room, Chrno laying down on the bed and Rose sitting down on a chair.

"I don't want to," Rose whined slightly. She looked away and looked at the books lined up against the desk.

"And why not?" Chrno asked, raising an eyebrow. Rose stayed silent and Chrno thought she hadn't heard him. Right when he was going to ask once more, she replied.

"I... My dreams... Lately they've been..." Rose didn't continue as she shuddered slightly, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks.

"They've been...?" Chrno asked, becoming concerned as he got up and went over to her side, pulling up a chair and sitting down next to her.

"...Horrible..." Rose replied, shuddering once more as she squeezed her eyes shut, tears beginning to trail their way down her face.

"They're... Just nightmares, that's all," Chrno replied and hugged the young blonde haired girl tightly. "Don't worry about any of it." He began stroking Rose's hair.

Rose sniffled a few times as she hugged him back, resting her head against his chest. She was trying her best not to cry from the dreams she had been having, but it seemed as though the tears were winning. She growled slightly, upset with herself for showing weakness and, even worse, showing that weakness to Chrno. _I'm not the damsel-in-distress. I'm not the one that depends on other people to make myself into a stronger person. If that's true, then why am I the one who ended up as the one needing to be saved?! Why am I depending on Chrno for comfort?!_

"You are strong, Rose, that is true," Chrno said quietly. "But everyone, human or demon, has a time when they can't always keep up that strong disposition. You're not weak. You are, in fact, the strongest person I know in this entire world. And each time you are reincarnated, you just become even more stronger." _As well as more stubborn, determined, and willful._

Rose looked up at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. _Don't ask how, but I heard that. _She crossed her arms, releasing him and looking away. "And I'm not so sure if I should take that as a compliment."

Chrno sweatdropped. "Awwww. Come on." He smirked but quickly hid it as he looked away, a puppy look upon his face. "Don't tell me you've finally lost the sense to have fun because of being reincarnated so much." He turned into his smaller form, knowing it would put more effect into his puppy face.

Rose turned to face him and was about to hurt him for what he had just said until she saw his face. Her eyes slightly widened then narrowed. "Chrno, I hate to break this to you, but... That doesn't work on me!" She let out a cry and lunged forward, aiming to tackle and pin the purple haired demon down.

Chrno's eyes widened out of fear and surprise and he quickly turned around, trying to make a run for it. However, he didn't make it very far as Rose had grabbed him by the ankles causing him to fall down face forward. Afterwards, Rose crawled up and turned him over, pinning both his wrists down.

"I win," Rose said, smirking.

"For now," Chrno said, grinning, a glint illuminating his eyes.

* * *

Yay! Rosette's back! But Aion's still around and has an evil scheme up his sleeves. Will his plan succeed? You'll just have to read the next chapter to Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning to find out. And please don't forget to review on your way out. Thank you very much in advance.


	11. Deadly Confessions

Wow! This is the longest chapter I've _ever_ written to any fanfic or story. x.x Lol. Hope you all enjoy it.

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* * *

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**Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning**

**By:**

**Guardian Angel of Innocence**

**Chapter Eleven: Deadly Confessions**

Rose let out a dreaded sigh as she stood in front of the church with Chrno.

"I don't see what's so bad about this," Chrno said, being in his adult form.

"It's absolutely evil!" Rose cried. "Whoever invented it is soooooooo down right hideously distorted!"

Chrno sweatdropped. "What's so bad about making confession?"

"Everything!" Rose cried. "One, they make you sit in this small room thing where there's this veil thing that doesn't let you see who you're talking to and it's much worse when you actually recognize the voice of the person you're talking to and you're admitting a bunch of embarrassing stuff! Two, the lines are super long! Three, Dad's the one that makes me go through this doomful sequence! And, four, do you realize how much I've sinned?!"

Chrno continued to sweatdrop. "Rose, I'm sure you don't sin _that_ much."

"Ohhh! But I do! I mean, when I was twelve and younger, before I became a teenager, yeah, I didn't sin much, but when I turned thirteen, I've been sinning really badly ever since," Rose explained. "Dammit!" She gasped and quickly covered her mouth.

Chrno chuckled causing him to receive a glare from the young nun.

"It's not funny! I cuss, I destroy buildings, I lie sometimes, I'm violent, I-"

"Which all leads me to wonder just how are you the Saint of the Apostles," Chrno said and chuckled once more.

Rose glared at him again. "Do you realize how much trouble I get in because of all of that?!"

Chrno shrugged and smirked slightly. "Is it really my fault Remington's your father?"

Rose growled and sent him one last glare before going into the church to meet her "doom".

Chrno smiled and sat down on the steps, awaiting her return.

* * *

"Dammit," Rose swore beneath her breath as she waited in line for her confession. "Of all the evil slimy things in the world, it's just this one thing that can make me vulnerable. It's downright wrong. I swear, the next time I die, the bastard that created this is sooooooo dead."

"Rose, if that guy's dead then technically it would be impossible to kill him again," a girl's voice said from behind her.

Rose glared at the girl to see that it was April. "Shut up! No one asked you!" She stuck out her tongue.

April laughed slightly then smiled. "You're still a troublemaker, you know that?" She raised an eyebrow. "And you truly do sin too much for your own good."

"Dammit! Who was asking you anyway?!" Rose snapped and turned her attention to the front of the line.

April continued smiling. "You just swore again."

"Dammit! I mean-" Rose quickly covered her mouth, daring not to utter another word.

April laughed once more, earning a glare from the young nun, which only caused April to burst into a fit of laughter.

After several minutes, it eventually came to Rose's turn to confess.

Rose let out another dreaded sigh and entered the small room, closing the door as she sat down. She fidgeted slightly, not daring to look at the veil. "It has been..." She sweatdropped as she tried to remember when her last confession was since she had always tended to come up with some type of excuse to save her from making one. However, this morning, that hadn't worked too well since Chrno had told Remington he'd take her and, despite her protests and lies she poured out, her father had still made her go and Chrno had been the one to take her to what might as well be, according to her, Hell. "It's been about one year and six months since my last confession." She sweatdropped again. "I think."

This earned her a chuckle from whoever was on the other side of the veil. "You really do sin too much."

Rose blinked a few times, the voice being very familiar. "Excuse me, Father. I mean, I'm really sorry."

"Just name off your sins, Rose," the voice said.

"Well... Ummm... For the pass few months, I've been lying... A lot. Mostly to my father because, well, I've just been out kicking demon butt. Umm... I've also tortured Chrno a few times these pass months-"

The last of her sentence earned her a slight snort from the person on the other side of the veil.

Rose glared at the face on the other side of the veil despite the fact that she knew very well it wasn't seen. "Due to fighting demons so much, I've destroyed many buildings in the process. However, I have yet to be responsible for the death of innocent people. I've also sworn on more than one occasion. And, umm... I, errr..."

"I get it, Rose. You're forgiven for all the sins you have committed," the voice said.

"Uhh... Thank you very much, Father," Rose said. She left the small room, but before she could leave the church, she heard screaming. She quickly spun around and grabbed out her gun, seeing Arachnia standing on the wall. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the spider demon forming webbing in her hands then sending it out towards any Sisters that were nearby. She growled and ran forward towards the Sisters that were just standing there, clearly paralyzed from fright. "Get the hell outta here! You'll get killed!" She ran in front of them and shot her gun at the webbing, the webbing disintegrating from the holy weapon.

Arachnia growled and glared daggers at Rose. Her eyes narrowed as she jumped off the wall, landing on the floor. _She was reincarnated again._ She held her hand out, webbing forming within it.

"You know, I seriously hate spiders, especially big spiders that try hurting innocent people," Rose said, her eyes narrowing as she pointed the gun at Arachnia.

"Yes, and I hate it when someone doesn't give up because they know very well they have already lost this battle and war," Arachnia said coldly.

Rose smirked. "You haven't won quite yet. I know for a fact you're still missing an Apostle. And until you have gotten the Saint, your plan will never be fulfilled."

Arachnia growled and icily said, "I see you have returned, Saint."

Rose continued smirking. "You bet I have. Until I'm sure the world's safe from you, Aion, and the others, I'll continue to come back to kick your butt."

"We'll see about that," Arachnia replied. She brought her hands together, the webbing in them becoming bigger. She then spread her hands apart, the webbing being shot out in every direction.

"Dammit!" Rose cried, shooting at the webbing with her sacred bullets.

The small room everyone had made their confessions in suddenly burst into splinters of wood. Standing where the small room once stood was none other than Chrno in his true form.

Rose's eyes widened in surprise then narrowed. She was going to have a talk with Chrno after this.

Chrno flew up and quickly grabbed a few nearby Sisters by their waists then flew back just in time to dodge the webbing that had been sent in their direction. He placed them back down on the ground. "Get out of here! Questions later!"

The Sisters nodded and quickly made their way to the doors.

Rose grabbed out her other gun and began shooting sacred and gospel bullets at the spider demon.

Arachnia formed webbing within her hands once more then spread them apart forming a webbed shield in front of herself. She glared at Chrno. "I see you have betrayed us once more."

Chrno growled as he stood beside Rose. "You threatened to harm my friends, that being the only reason I had rejoined your group."

"And you had better not have harmed any of them or, I swear, you'll suffer more than anything else you can think of," Rose said through narrowed eyes. "Especially if you've harmed Joshua in any way."

"You still care about him even though in this life time he is not your brother. How terribly sweet," Arachnia said.

"There you are!" a voice cried out.

There was a sudden blast that caused a hole to form within the church's wall. Standing on the other side of the wall was a woman who seemed to be the age of eighteen or so. Her long red hair trailed down to her waist, her violet eyes holding determination within them. She wore long gray trench coat, a white long sleeved shirt underneath that that had a few buttons on top that were unbuttoned, blue jeans, and black shoes.

"Not you again," Arachnia said in annoyance. "I thought I had lost you back at the train station."

"It's kind of hard to hide when you're a huge arachnid," the lady replied.

Rose growled slightly, seeming to recognize the red haired woman. Her eyes then widened in realization. "Stella?!"

Stella turned her attention away from the spider demon and looked in the direction of Chrno and Rose. "Excuse me? Do I know you?" She faintly recognized the two, but how she did was a mystery to her since she had never met either of them in all her life.

_She... Doesn't remember? I suppose she's Stella's reincarnation then,_ Rose thought. "No. Not really. It's a long story." _One that I'd rather not explain._

"We'll explain later, but let us focus on the problem at hand first," Chrno said.

Arachnia smirked as she climbed up the ceiling. "And the group reunites. You're just missing one person before it can be complete once more."

Rose's eyes widened. _Had Azmaria been reincarnated, too?!_ She growled and took a step forward. "You had _so_ better hope you have not hurt Azmaria because if you have, you will dearly regret it."

Chrno took a step forward as well. "You have harmed enough innocent people. How far will you go before you dreams of freedom is realized to be nothing more than what you had desperately tried to break free of?!"

"It is the way to prepare the people for what life may be like once we have recreated both worlds," Arachnia said coldly.

"I left for that very reason. Recreating both worlds means killing hundreds of innocents! You'll kill the Apostles, too!" Chrno cried out, clearly enraged.

"Freedom doesn't come without price," Arachnia replied.

"There are other ways to gain it, you know!" Rose cried. "How do you think America got free?! Geez! Go do your research! Our country wasn't always free, you know!"

"Only this country had gotten 'free', however, you still are not totally free, now are you?" Arachnia asked, somewhat sneering. "Your freedoms may have been opened up greatly, but you still have very little freedom as well. It is only by recreating the world that we can achieve true freedom."

Rose remained silent for a while, trying to think of a comeback to that. Finally, she said, "There must be order within the world, otherwise, the world would be in chaos. While our freedoms are limited, we still do have some freedom. We have the freedom of living happily within an orderly world. We don't live within a world where you cannot think for yourself or where the government chooses the occupation you must hold. We don't live within a world where everyone's equal because everyone cannot truly be equal. We are all different in many ways, which makes it highly impossible for everything to be equal. However, we do make it so everyone is treated the same way, with respect, thus, making that equal.

Freedom does come with a cost, but not one so great as the one you are willing to pay. You are merely trying to escape from the world that had given you injustice and trying to make this world into the one you had envisioned. While many societies within our world are not truly equal nor truly free, we try what we can to make it so everyone's treated equally while making it so there is a bit more freedom in their lives. There are certain countries out there where only boys are allowed to go to school while girls are to stay home.

"This is why we cannot take our freedoms for granted, but many of us do so anyway. At least until they have experienced how it is to not have many freedoms within their life. One cannot help but be curious; it is only human nature. That is why we go to school, to gain knowledge and fulfill our curiosity," Rose continued then sighed slightly.

Chrno blinked a few times, clearly surprised by the long speech Rose had made. _Maybe she had been paying attention in class after all._

"You bore me with your senseless talk," Arachnia said, yawning.

Rose growled. "Some people aren't even allowed to marry someone outside of their religion or race! That's-"

"That's why the world will be destroyed and reformed to make it so none of that matters," Arachnia hissed. "We will make it so none of that matters."

"You'll still be killing many innocent people," Rose said. "I will not allow you or anyone to ever do that."

Stella frowned. "I've had enough of this stupid freedom crap." She glared at Arachnia and held her hands together, a light blue aura surrounding her. "Where's Fiore?!"

"With the other Apostles, of course," Arachnia said coldly as she watched the red haired woman.

"You know damn well what I mean!" Stella cried, light blue energy forming within her hands.

Chrno's hands turned to fists. His ear twitched slightly when he heard movement behind him. He quickly spun around to see Jenai. He growled and sent a punch towards the demon.

Jenai jumped back just in time. "You missed. I'm afraid your reaction time has been cut quite a bit, Chrno."

Rose spun around and pointed her guns at Jenai.

Jenai gave her an annoyed look. "When will you just die and never come back?!" _Why can't she just stick to being the Magdalene she was those hundreds of years ago?!_

"I'm going to keep coming back as long as Chrno lives and as long as you and your group continue to terrorize everyone!" Rose cried.

Chrno gave Rose a surprised look then shook his head. He charged towards Jenai and sent a punch his way. Jenai held up his blade, blocking the attack. Black electricity poured out from Chrno's fist. Chrno growled while Jenai gave him a glare.

Rose watched the two then turned her attention to Stella and Arachnia, seeing Stella send out a large amount of red energy at the spider demon; the energy turning into flames. Arachnia spun a webbing shield in front of herself once more.

Rose's eyes slightly widened when something familiar caught her eye, however, it was gone before she could be sure of what it was. She watched Chrno and Stella then went in the direction she had seen the familiar object. She turned a corner to see a few strands of light lavender hair turn another corner. _If I'm right about this... That should be..._ She turned another corner to see a girl with long light lavender hair running up ahead, her long white gown blowing slightly with the wind, her hair being tied back in a half ponytail by a red bow. _It is her! Azmaria!_ She ran after the young Apostle, soon arriving within a forest.

Rose let out a breath once the two came to a halt in front of a river. Her eyes widened in realization_. This is the place I always went to get away from the Magdalan Order!_ Memories of her and Chrno taking Azmaria here for the first time and getting into a splashing battle went through her mind causing her to smile. She shook her head and went over to Azmaria. "You know, you've gotten harder to keep up with as odd as that sounds." She smirked as she crossed her arms.

Azmaria turned around to face Rosette, tears within her red eyes. "Rosette... Run! Please!"

Rose blinked a few times in confusion. "What...? What do you mean...?" She shook her head and gently took the young Apostle's hand, walking off in the opposite direction of the Order since neither of them would be safe there anyway.

"Rosette!" Azmaria protested.

"Azmaria, we're both Apostles and those guys back at the church are Aion's henchmen. Sister Kate would kill me if she found out I just took you back to the Order where you're not safe and could easily be captured by them," Rose said as she continued to lead Azmaria further away from the Order.

"But Aion-"

"Is still alive and apparently very well," Rose said and glared at the ground. "He was supposed to die. But he survived." She closed her eyes as tears began to flow down her cheeks. "He continues to make everyone suffer for his own selfish wants!"

Azmaria looked up at Rose, sadness reflecting in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Rose..." She looked away.

"Ah, Rosette Christopher. I see it is true. You have returned once again," Aion said, coming out from behind a tree, his bird resting on his arm. He smiled. "Please give me Azmaria."

Rose growled and stood in front of the young Apostle, grabbing out her gun and pointing it at Aion. "You creep. Don't think I'll fall for your lame tricks again."

"Joshua is in pain. He wants his sister," Aion explained. "He's deeply ill and not in his right mind. Only his sister can make him feel better."

Rose's eyes narrowed dangerously. "He wouldn't be sick if you hadn't taken him to begin with! If you had just left him alone... Why must you make everyone feel so much pain?!"

Azmaria watched the two uncertainly.

"Ah, but if I had left him alone, do you honestly believe he would be any better? Think back to where you were when you had died, Rosette Christopher," Aion said.

Rose closed her eyes again then opened them, looking down at the ground. "No... He wouldn't be... But!" She looked back up at Aion, not having lowered her gun. "He would have been much more safe without you! You're the one that makes him suffer more than anyone else!" Memories of that night at the carnival flashed through her mind. She saw herself dancing with Chrno, the both of them trying to step on the other's foot but ending up having a great time. She saw Stella, Steiner, and Azmaria talking. Saw herself and Chrno watching the city lights after they had gotten lost. Then... She saw the bird and ran after it only to arrive where Aion had wanted her to go. She saw her brother having no memory of her, saw all the Apostles, saw their energy going into her, the stigmata marks beginning to bleed; saw Jenai kill each of the Apostles afterwards, Remington saving Azmaria before any harm could come to her; saw Joshua and Chrno fighting one another... She growled and glared at Aion. "If you hadn't come at all, everyone would have been much more happier! Stella and her sister would have been together with their family! Azmaria wouldn't have been used by her adoptive father and she would still have her band friends!"

Azmaria looked up at Rose and smiled slightly.

"Joshua wouldn't have suffered so much pain! And Chrno would be happier!!!!" Rose cried out then fired her gun several times, ignoring the tears that went down her cheeks.

Aion, however, simply moved to the side each time as each bullet went to strike him, but only missed due to his speed.

Rose growled and was about to load her gun again, that is, until Aion quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she held the gun up to Aion's chest. _No! Get your filthy lips off mine!_ She fired her gun and, much to her surprise, actually wounded Aion.

Aion looked down at the hole in his chest, blood slowly trickling out from his wound. He looked at Rose and grinned. "I see you have become stronger. You wouldn't have done that last time."

"Last time, I was scared to death! I thought you had killed Chrno! And you were hurting my brother! Not to mention I had become really weak after what you had the Apostles do!" Rose shouted. "And I have plenty more ammunition to give you more than just a hole."

"But what of Joshua?" Aion asked.

"I'll find him and I don't need you in order to do so," Rose said. _I'll find Fiore and Joshua. I owe Stella that. She had helped us several times in the past, even if she has no memory of it._

Aion reached his hand out to her to cup her chin, but Rose held her gun up to his eye level.

"Touch me and I'll shoot. Touch Azmaria and I'll still shoot. Tell your henchmen to back off now and leave us alone. Leave all the Apostles alone. Go back to Pandemonium where you belong and never return. And release all the Apostles you have captured," Rose said determinedly.

"You have grown quite dangerous as well, I see," Aion said calmly. "Who are you to make such threats and to order me as you please?"

"You're evil and I will do what I must to save all the innocents from you. I am Mary Magdalene, Rosette Christopher, and Rose Remington. I am an Apostle and Saint. I will perform my duty to this world and that is to rid the world of all demons such as yourself," Rose said.

"Will you rid of Chrno as well?" Aion asked and grinned once more. "He is just like me. He is a demon and, though he may seem kind, he still has the nature and dangerous powers of a demon."

"He's changed greatly from the Chrno you once knew. He's not the same anymore. He can contain his powers," Rose said.

"I wonder how you are still able to stand. I'm sure you're in a lot of pain, Rose Remington," Aion said.

Rose blinked a few times, taken aback by this. She suddenly did feel weak from all the life energy Chrno was still using. Why she hadn't felt it before, she could only conclude the reason being because she was too caught up in the events to feel the pain. She looked down at the watch, electricity coming off it. She winced and glared at Aion. _I won't let the pain get to me! I won't let him have Azmaria! I won't let him win again!_ "You underestimate me, Aion. Despite my life slowly being depleted, I still have the energy and determination to get rid of you and protect Azmaria."

"Then why is it that you're suddenly beginning to shake?" Aion asked.

It was true, Rose's hands seemed to be shaking suddenly while her legs turned into jell-o threatening to make her fall down to her knees. "I'm not shaking. It's merely your imagination."

"Your life will be greatly shortened today if you do not seal Chrno's power away," Aion explained. "Do you want that to happen when you have not gotten rid of the darkness within this world?"

"As I said before, I will be coming back as much as I am needed," Rose said firmly.

"Courageous words coming from someone who has been fighting a losing battle," Aion said, pushing his spectacles somewhat upwardly upon the bridge of his nose.

"Hate to break it to you, but I believe you are the one fighting a losing war," Rose said then pressed the trigger.

However, right when Rose released the gospel bullet, Emerald appeared by Aion's side, holding out a small gadget that had been placed around her wrist as though it were a wristband. She pressed a small red button that had been attached to the band, creating a light green barrier in front of herself and Aion.

"Mrow. You'll have to do better than that, Rosette Christopher," Emerald said, grinning.

Rose watched the two through narrow eyes, her breathing coming out in short wheezes.

"I'm sorry," Azmaria said quietly. "They captured me a long time ago." She squeezed her eyes shut as tears began to roll down her cheeks. "Aion told me I had to lure you into the forest or else he'd-he'd-"

"Don't apologize, Azmaria!" Rose cried, keeping her attention on Aion and Emerald. "None of this was your fault. I know how Aion works since I've had to deal with the guy for the pass three lives I have lived. However, things will turn out differently this time. I won't leave Chrno's side and he won't leave mine. Aion will not collect all the Apostles. And he sure as heck won't be using me or brain washing me!" She closed her eyes. "I'm sure God is with me on this. My destiny is no longer that of death and allowing you to win." She opened her eyes, sheer determination within them. "My destiny is to defeat you once and for all, Aion! And to live a happy life with Chrno by my side! I will not allow anymore people to suffer because of you, Aion!"

Aion looked up at the sky, seeing Chrno fighting Jenai. He then saw that Stella had used her jewel summoning skills since a huge light green soldier had thrown Arachnia into the air. He chuckled and looked back at Azmaria then Rose. "Tell me, how is it that you are so sure He's on your side? What has He ever done to prove that? If you ask me, He has only made you and everyone suffer greatly. For what cause? I am sure everyone within this world has not sinned and, yet, He seems to help those that are greedy more than He does those who are selfless."

"That's not true!" Rose cried out. "You wouldn't know! He does do good for others! He has his reasons for not granting many prayers, but, I can assure you, He is not on the side of those that sin!" She lowered her gun, glaring at the ground.

"And how would you know that, Rose Remington?" Aion asked.

Rose looked up at Aion, her expression full of determination. "I know because if that was true, He wouldn't allow me to come back as many times as I have."

"Or is that part of His plan? To have you come back as many times as possible before you have come to realize your fate?" Aion asked. "I do not follow the path He has set for me, I create my own; one that He would greatly disapprove of if he truly is a god."

Rosette shook her head. "This is His plan. He's trying to have you realize your mistakes and, apparently, it hasn't worked yet. As long as you continue to make the same mistakes and not learn from them, I'll continue to return."

"Mrow. You've turned boring," Emerald said, crossing her arms. "Can you please return our ever faithful Azmaria? We still need her."

"Never in any lifetime would I hand her over," Rose said, taking a step back.

"Rosette..." Azmaria said quietly.

* * *

"Chrno! You're getting on my nerves!" Jenai cried out, bringing his blade down.

Chrno used his tail to block the blade. "Then maybe you should stop before I'm forced to hurt you more than I want."

"Not until you're dead!" Jenai cried out, swinging his blade horizontally.

Chrno flew up above the blade then sent out his tail to attack Jenai, but Jenai quickly flew back causing the tail to merely leave a cut upon the demon's cheek.

"I'm disappointed," Jenai said. "Is this what the 'Killer of a Thousand of His Own Brethren' has become? A weak, defenseless, demon?"

Chrno stayed silent and charged towards Jenai.

* * *

Rose placed a hand over her watch, her eyes suddenly widening in realization. "Wait! Chrno still has his horns! How is he using my life force?!"

Emerald's eyes held a glint within them. "Easy, my dear. You see, Sheda was the one who originally created it, making it so that when the seal was open, the demon would be able to drain the astral energy, life force; from the contractor. However, when we had taken you, Rosette Christopher, captive, I took the device and tweaked it slightly." She sighed. "I didn't know that he would still be able to use your life force, though. Didn't find that out until recently. When I had made a few changes in the watch, I had accidentally made it so that Chrno would be able to still take your life force as a form of astral energy even when he has his horns, and I also, ummm..." She fidgeted. "Made it so the connection, link; between your mind, body, soul, and heart was a lot stronger than any of us wanted. I'm sure neither of you have come to notice that just yet. But it would explain why you've been seeing Chrno in your dreams after regaining all your memories." She smirked. "I don't believe Chrno has noticed at all. He probably thought those dreams he had of you before you two were reunited were merely dreams to torture him yet pacify him."

_The dreams I had of him after I regained all my memories? I thought they were just visions. I _do_ have the same powers Mary had,_ Rose thought.

"Aion!" a voice cried.

Rose, Azmaria, Emerald, and Aion turned their attention to where the voice had come from.

Aion grinned. "What a pleasure to meet you again, Yuan Remington."

"Dad!" Rose cried.

"Allow the children to leave. This is a battle you and I must finish," Remington said, holding out his holy energy blade.

"Yuan, do you honestly believe I would forget about the two Apostles I need? In order to make this world into what it should be, I need all of them," Aion said then turned into his true form.

"Give me a break," Rose muttered then grabbed Azmaria's hand, making a run for it while holding her gun with the other hand.

"I'll go after them. No worries," Emerald said, winking, then ran after the two.

Remington began charging towards Aion then brought his blade down. Aion grabbed out his own blade that had been sheathed by his side the whole time and used it to block the attack, light blue and black electricity coming off both clashing blades as the two glared into the other's eyes.

* * *

"Tell me where Fiore is!" Stella cried out, holding Arachnia against the crumbled wall with the green knight.

"If I were to do that, I'd be betraying Lord Aion," Arachnia said. "Why don't you join me?"

Stella's eyes narrowed as she smacked the small spider that had landed on her shoulder. "Do not think I will fall for such trickery."

Arachnia growled and shot out a ball of webbing at Stella's arm causing the jewel summoner to stumble back a bit as she tried to get free, which also caused Arachnia to get free of the knight's grip. Arachnia laughed, quite amused with Stella's attempts of trying to release herself from the webbing.

* * *

Jenai let out a furious cry as he brought his blade down once more, Chrno blocking it with his tail again. Jenai growled and swung his blade at Chrno's feet. Chrno blocked the sword with his tail then brought his fist back and punched Jenai in the face, black electricity coming out from his hand. This caused Jenai to fly back quite a bit.

"Dammit!" Jenai shouted, glaring at Chrno.

Chrno grabbed out his sword and charged towards Jenai. Jenai barely brought his blade to block Chrno's horizontal swing.

* * *

Rose ran as fast as her legs would carry her, sensing that Azmaria was beginning to tire. Of course, Rose was also beginning to weaken and she wasn't exactly enjoying it either. _I won't stop until I'm sure Azmaria's safe._ She gritted her teeth as memories of saving Joshua ran through her mind, the events being almost equal to these ones. She instantly stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening. _I was weak when I was saving Joshua. The same applies for now when I'm saving Azmaria. I'm not going to die again!_ She turned to face Azmaria. "Go on ahead and find somewhere to hide. I'll take care of cat girl. We can't risk you being caught and there's no way that cat's going to defeat me."

"But Rosette," Azmaria protested, panting, sweat pouring down her pale face.

"You have to go on," Rose said determinedly. "If you're caught then the whole world will be doomed. Do you really want everyone in the whole entire world to suffer?"

Azmaria stayed silent as she looked down at the ground, tears brimming in the corner of her eyes. "Rosette..." She looked up at her, tears beginning to trail down her face. "Be careful!"

Rose smiled and nodded. "Don't worry. I'll be fine." She gave her a thumbs up while winking.

Azmaria nodded and ran off ahead.

Rose stood her ground, waiting for Emerald to appear.

* * *

Aion and Remington's blades clashed once more. Remington took a step back then swung the blade at Aion's feet. Aion jumped up then swung his own blade, purple electricity coming off it and hitting Remington sending the angel crashing into the ground.

"Do not take me so lightly. You of all people should know that you cannot simply defeat me so fast," Aion said.

Remington gritted his teeth as he stood back up. "Answer me this, Aion. How is it that you lived after Chrno 'killed' you? Why aren't you dead?"

"I am the Alpha and Omega, beginning and end," Aion said as though that answered it all. "And you are getting in my way of doing so."

Remington's expression remained filled with determination as he charged towards Aion.

* * *

Chrno and Jenai's blades clashed each time the other tried to strike, though, they both had gotten a chance to send a few cuts to each other. However, they each had enough time to heal those wounds since they weren't major. Jenai and Chrno glared into the other's eyes, trying to figure out a way to get rid of the other. Jenai smirked and did something Chrno hadn't expected; he grabbed at Chrno's horns and began trying to break them. Chrno winced as he let out a cry of pain.

* * *

"You're no fun," Emerald said and jumped off the branch she had been occupying.

"The time for fun is not now," Rose said. "The time for fun is when you guys aren't ruining everything and when we can actually take a break from all the overwhelming stuff from work!"

Emerald frowned. "Blah, blah, blah. You humans can be so boring sometimes." She sighed and shook her head then grabbed out a small gun from her pockets, pointing it at Rose. "The time for fun is now. At least for me." She winked and began firing the gun, large laser beams coming out of it.

Rose's eyes widened.

* * *

Azmaria ran pass the trees, her legs threatening to give in beneath her. But she couldn't stop; she refused to. If she did, Rose would be risking her life in vain. Her sides were hurting, her feet ached, and her legs felt like jell-o. She let out a cry when she tripped over a rock, landing face first into the ground. Her breath came out in short pants, sweat pouring down her face and mingling with the dirt from the ground. She groaned as she sat up, wiping the sweat and dirt from her face. She then stood up and began running once more. She couldn't spare any time to stop and take a rest; who knew what lied behind her, chasing her down to return her to Aion.

* * *

Stella growled and glared at Arachnia as she finally got free of the webbing. Arachnia also growled and shot webbing out from her hands once more. Stella used her green knight to cut through the webbing, cutting it in half. She then had the knight slash its sword down vertically.

* * *

Chrno placed his hands over Jenai's wrists as he tried to prevent the armored demon from ripping out his horns. He growled and glared at Jenai. "I won't let you rip them out."

Jenai smirked as he continued holding on tightly to the horns. "Why? You afraid of losing your girlfriend again?"

Chrno growled causing Jenai to smirk all the more. However, that smirk instantly disappeared when Chrno attacked him with his tail, stabbing through his armor and chest. Jenai coughed up blood then growled, pulling with all his remaining strength at the horns. Chrno held back a cry of pain as he dug his tail deeper through armor, bone, blood, and flesh causing Jenai to wince as he continued to pull.

* * *

Remington and Aion's blades clashed once more, different colored electricity coming off the both of them.

"How did you survive?! Answer me with one that is not filled with your meaningless riddles!" Remington cried as he pulled his blade back then swung it horizontally.

Aion easily dodged the attack then grabbed the fallen angel by his throat, lifting him up. "Must I repeat myself? That is all that you need to know."

Remington growled as he tried to keep hold of his sword while trying not to choke from Aion's tight grasp. "The beginning and the end do not explain anything to me."

"You being around humans so much has caused you to gain naivety, angel," Aion said then threw Remington into a tree, slowly walking over to him as the sun glinted off his sword.

Remington put a hand to his throat, wincing from crashing into the tree as well as from the crushing grip Aion had had on him. He watched the white haired demon draw nearer and tried reaching for his blade that was mere feet away from him.

* * *

Rose hid behind a tree as she loaded her gun with gospel bullets. The cat demon seemed to have the upper hand with that gun in her hand, but Rose knew Emerald would be practically defenseless and helpless without it. She just had to find out when to strike at the right time and grab the gun away from her.

"You can run, Rosette Christopher, but you certainly can't hide," Emerald said, being several feet from Rose's location. _Now where can you be, Saint?_

Rose closed her eyes and leaned against the tree, slowly counting mentally on when to shoot. She heard a twig snap beneath Emerald's feet, her cattail creating a swishing-like noise. _Just a little closer, kitty girl._ She heard the leaves crunch as Emerald drew closer. She opened her eyes and turned slightly to look over the tree to see Emerald very near to her hideout. She continued to count mentally until she finally reached fifty. _Now!_ She jumped out of hiding, completely catching the cat demon by surprise. She held her gun up to Emerald's head, the cat demon putting her clawed hands up. Rose took the laser gun and placed it in her unoccupied holster. "Okay. If you don't want to die then I suggest you listen to me."

"And what will you have me do, Saint?" Emerald asked, slightly grinning.

"I want you, Aion, and the rest of you group of creeps to leave us all alone peacefully. I'm tired of dealing with you guys. Besides... I'm not going to have you guys capture me again. I won't fall for the same trap a fourth time," Rose said. _I won't leave Chrno again._

"Ah, but we still need you, Saint," Emerald said.

"I don't care. You guys will leave this place," Rose said. She closed her eyes. "You were very kind to me back in the ship, Emerald, but..." She opened her eyes. "If you continue to harm innocent people, I will kill you despite the fact that you were so nice."

Emerald smiled and shook her head. "Do not be so naïve. Now was not the day to capture you anyways. We have other plans in mind." A suspicious glint lit her eyes as a smirk spread across her lips. "I do not know how it is that you and Chrno already have a contract since he still has his horns, but it will prove to be very effective. Lord Aion hadn't planned for this."

"Just what do you mean?" Rose asked, her eyes narrowing. She had forgotten about the contract once again, feeling slightly shaken from all the energy Chrno was pulling from her.

"You'll see," Emerald said, winking. Before Rose could demand her of anything else, she grabbed out a small remote and pressed the red button, vanishing.

Rose growled in frustration and turned around, going back the way she had treaded from.

* * *

Azmaria continued running then stopped, leaning over as she placed her hands on her knees, panting. She didn't hear any footsteps behind her and, so, sat down on a log, trying to regain some of her energy before running once more. She sighed and looked down at the small puddle in front of her. She truly was a mess. Twigs and leaves stuck out from her hair while her face was covered in dirt and sweat, her clothing being covered in dirt as well. _I'm going to need a shower after this_. She looked to the sky. _I hope you're all right, Rosette._

"Azmaria, Aion's not going to be very happy when he finds you out here," a voice said from behind her.

Azmaria's eyes widened as she spun around. "J-Joshua." She instantly stood up, taking a step back.

Joshua smiled as he took a step forward. "Soon, I will be strong. You can be strong, too, Az." He held out his hand.

Tears filled Azmaria's eyes as she quickly shook her head. "No! I won't be manipulated by him just as he has done to you!" She quickly wiped away the tears that began to flow down her cheeks then turned around and began making a run for it.

Joshua only shook his head and sat down on the log, waiting for his power to be returned to him.

* * *

Arachnia put up a web shield before the knight could cut her. She then let out a hiss and glared at Stella. "This battle is not won yet, human." She disappeared.

Stella growled in frustration then sat down on one of the ruined altars. "This is becoming wary."

* * *

Aion looked down at the blade that was only a few feet from being within Remington's grasp. He kicked it away then held his blade up vertically, bringing it down afterwards.

"Father!" a girl's voice cried, a gospel bullet jamming into Aion's shoulder.

Aion winced and placed a hand over his shoulder, glaring at the one who had shot the bullet to see Rose glaring at him through narrowed eyes.

"Leave him alone!" Rose cried as she took a step forward. "I'll fire again if you don't."

Aion regained his cool manner and shook his head, a grin spreading across his lips. "Rose Remington, what of your brother?"

"Does it truly matter? Every word that comes out from your mouth is useless for they are only shrouded in deceit," Rose said, taking another step forward.

"Are you so sure, Rose Remington? Or is it Him who simply tells you lies to pacify your soul?" Aion asked.

"Trust me, I know who tells the lies and truths here," Rose said, taking yet another step forward. "I do not fear you, Aion. I will remain strong even when my strength is being drained."

Remington slowly crawled his way to his fallen blade as Rose distracted the white haired demon.

* * *

Azmaria continued to run until she tripped over a rock, falling down face first into the ground. She rolled onto her back, closing her eyes as her breath came out in short wheezes. She couldn't run anymore. She simply didn't have the strength to do so. _Rosette... Help me..._

She heard twigs and leaves snap underneath someone's feet as they approached her. Azmaria sat up weakly, opening one eye to see Emerald looking down at her with a wide grin. She opened both her eyes, them being wide as she desperately tried to stand only to fall back on her butt.

"Don't do that, Az," Emerald said, shaking her head. "You're too weak right now and you're only straining yourself. You'll end up hurting yourself somehow." She held out her clawed hand. "Now, come. We must return to the ship."

Azmaria slowly raised her hand up to meet Emerald's until she heard a voice in the back of her mind say, "Azmaria, don't do it. You mustn't give up. You must have courage."

Azmaria quickly took her hand away from Emerald's as her expression changed to one of determination. "No..." She weakly stood up, stumbling back a few steps before she caught her balance. "I won't go with you. Rosette wouldn't and I won't either!"

Emerald was taken aback slightly by the sudden courage filling Azmaria's soul. She shook her head once again. "Az, you can't run. You can hardly even walk. What makes you believe you can get away?"

"The fact that I have friends who are always there for me. I can't fail them by giving in so easily!" Azmaria cried then spun around, running off.

Emerald let out a sigh of exasperation then appeared in front of Azmaria within a blink of an eye. She crossed her arms in irritation as she tapped her foot. "Really, Az, this is becoming quite the nuisance. Lord Aion will not be pleased with your misbehavior."

Azmaria took a step back, closing her eyes as she tried to think of what Rosette would do. She looked up at Emerald determinedly when she had opened her eyes then lunged forward, grabbing the gun that had been holstered on the left side of Emerald's waist. She held the gun up, pointed directly at Emerald's chest.

"I'm not coming with you. I'm not returning to Aion. I'm staying here with Chrno and Rosette!" Azmaria cried.

"You don't want to do this," Emerald said, calmly, taking a step forward as she watched the trigger carefully. "Your aim would be very off due to your loss of strength and the after blow from the gun will strain your body, you may even be harmed."

"Don't come a step closer," Azmaria said, trying her best to keep her hands from trembling while keeping her aim on target.

Emerald stopped, reluctantly obeying when she saw the fiery determination within the young apostle's eyes. It was then that she knew Azmaria was deadly serious and would fire the gun if she came any closer. She closed her eyes as she thought back to the previous Azmaria that had excelled beyond any normal Sister. She was the greatest within the Order. Though, Rosette would always be the most memorable within the Magdalan Order.

She smirked as she opened her eyes, watching Azmaria. _To think such a weak coward would turn out to be the best shooter and Sister in the whole Order. Not to mention to become the Head Mistress at the age of sixteen. _"Well, I suppose I really must take my leave. See ya later, Az." She smiled, waved bye then disappeared.

* * *

Jenai glared at Chrno as his strength began to drain due to the fatal blow Chrno had inflicted upon him. However, that glare slowly disappeared, a smirk spreading across his lips. Chrno looked at him suspiciously, wondering slightly if the armored demon had finally lost it. Jenai closed his eyes and simply said, "I know it's very late to say this, but I will warn you nonetheless." He opened his eyes, a dark grin taking the place of his smirk. "You're about to feel a hell of a pain go through your whole entire body."

Chrno gave Jenai a confounded look, but before he could do or say anything, he felt something sharp and burning go through the center of his chest. He looked down to see a small smoldering hole where he had been hit. He placed a hand over the wound then lifted it up to see his crimson blood. However, as he looked closer at it, he saw traces of golden liquid within it. He raised an eyebrow then looked down to see a young girl.

The girl had long, flowing, black hair and ice cold gray eyes. Dark red lipstick covered her lips while metallic blue eye shadow covered her eyelids. Her outfit was very similar to Rosette's militia uniform except her dress was red, the crosses black, what was normally white was also black, her gloves were black, her hat was red, her gloves black, and, instead of boots, she wore black high heels. She looked to be about seventeen years old and held a pistol pointed up at Chrno, conspicuously ready to fire her gun once more at the purple haired demon.

Jenai took advantage of Chrno's distraction and quickly pulled out the horns with the last of his remaining strength. He then flew back some feet away from Chrno.

Chrno let out a cry of pain and quickly grasped his head where the horns had been, wincing as the blood poured out on the sides of his head. He folded his wings in, falling towards the ground at a rapid speed. He closed his eyes, faintly hearing the occurrences around him.

"If you don't die this way, you'll surely die from Mia's shot," Jenai's voice shouted.

Footsteps came closer to him when he had crashed into the ground, a girl's voice saying, "Such a shame you must die this way. I must admit, you are quite the cutie. Not as cute as Lord Aion, though." With that said, the footsteps left his side, growing fainter until he could no longer hear them. It was then that he was finally consumed in darkness...

* * *

Rose was about to shoot Aion once more, when her eyes suddenly went wide, her whole body trembling from an immense pain. She fell to her knees, her grasp upon her gun weakening until it fell to her side. She hugged herself trying to keep herself from crying out, electricity wildly pouring out from the clock around her neck while its hands turned rapidly. _What's wrong with me? What's happening? Why's the clock acting like this?_

A wide grin spread across Aion's lips as he watched the young nun. _It seems we have finally gotten what we wanted._ He turned around to leave. "We will meet again, Rose Remington."

"Aion!" Yuan Remington cried, grabbing his blade and quickly getting up. He then charged after the white haired demon, lunging forward. However, before he could make contact, Aion disappeared. Remington growled slightly then sheathed his blade. Afterwards, he went by Rose's side, his expression filling with concern. "Rose?"

Rose placed a hand over the watch, her breathing coming out in short pants while sweat poured down her face. She looked up at her father, a tired but worried expression upon her face. "It's... Chrno!"

* * *

Noooooooooooo! Chrno got hurt! T.T Just what did that chick, Mia, shoot at Chrno? What will become of everyone's favorite lovable purple haired demon?! You'll just have to wait and see in the next chapter of Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning! And please don't forget to review on your way out. Thank you very much in advance.


	12. Dark Angel

**Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning**

**By:**

**Guardian Angel of Innocence**

**Chapter Twelve: Dark Angel**

It was dark... Too dark for his liking... He couldn't see anything... Couldn't hear anything... He was completely vulnerable much to his annoyance... The sound of dripping water began lightly hitting the ground some miles away, but it echoed throughout the area he was in... The air was moist... The ground felt oddly slimy... A sharp pain went through his whole entire body causing him to tremor violently... He couldn't remember anything.... Everything was a blank... Up within the dark sky, he suddenly saw bright light... In place of the light was a girl's face... A girl that he suddenly felt drawn to, reaching his clawed hand up in hopes of reaching her...

* * *

Rose had her hand over her watch, watching with terrified, concerned eyes as the doctor of the Order investigated the unconscious Chrno. Her heart pounded so fast and loudly, it was beginning to deafen her.

Chrno was a mess. Shortly after he had passed out, it had begun raining causing some mud to get all over him, especially his hair. He was wounded pretty badly and the gunshot was the worse of them all. Acidic yellow bubbles had begun coming out of it and pretty much all of his wounds. Rose and everyone else had eventually found him and taken him to infirmary. The doctors and nurses had insisted she stay in the waiting room, but she refused to do so, not when Chrno needed her... Despite the fact she was useless at the moment...

Rose sighed and looked down at the ground. _I'm sorry, Chrno... I should have come to you right after Aion had left._ She opened her eyes, them suddenly widening. _No! I should have come far sooner than that! They were planning on killing you!_ She looked towards him, tears threatening to fall down. It was right at that moment that Chrno began to convulse, the doctor trying his best to keep the purple haired demon from falling off the bed all together. It was almost as though he was having a seizure. Eventually, the sudden shaking came to a halt and Chrno was in peace once more.

The doctor shook his head as he turned to face the young Saint. He sighed and looked away. "I'm afraid it's not good. Whatever was shot into him had some sort of liquid within it that was apparently made to kill him slowly. The liquid has already entered his bloodstream. I do not believe there's anything we can do to save him. We'll just have to hope he can fight it off..."

Rose could tell the doctor didn't believe Chrno would live at all. She knew how to read people, a technique she had developed over the years. "Well, unlike you, I know for a fact he'll live."

"He'll die within forty-eight hours..." the doctor said, softly.

"You obviously don't know him at all, doctor," Rose said, calmly. "He won't give up so easily. I suggest you find a real expert in a holy weapon field. I bet you they could actually give me a more detailed report of what's actually wrong with Chrno."

The doctor gave her a look, but left the room to tell Remington of the news.

Rose pulled out a chair and sat down on it beside Chrno's bedside. She closed her eyes. "I was such an idiot. I can't believe I actually fell so far into that creep's trap without realizing it." She reached a hand up and moved a few strands of hair from Chrno's face. She quickly withdrew it, however, when she felt the burning hot flesh. _He's running a fever. Normal medicine won't work... I probably have to kiss him again to make him feel better. _She stood up then sat down on the bed, watching him. "Chrno, you so owe me after this." She blushed and leaned forward, her lips drawing closer to Chrno's.

Chrno opened his red eyes, seeing Rose's face come closer to his, her eyes being closed. He closed his eyes as well when their lips came into contact then began kissing her deeply and passionately. Rose's eyes widened suddenly when Chrno kissed her back. However, she closed her eyes, allowing Chrno's tongue to pass through her lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Chrno wrapped his arms around Rose's waist and drew her closer to him, deepening the kiss. The two then stopped briefly, staring into the other's eyes. Chrno's were slightly glazed over while Rose's were exactly the same.

A smile tugged at Chrno's lips as he reached a hand up to place a strand of hair behind Rose's ear, softly saying, "Hey..." Then he passed out.

* * *

Azmaria looked around her room, looking at every object within it. She then came to a halt when she spotted a very familiar picture on one of the dressers. She went over to it then picked it up, looking at it. It was the picture they had taken so long ago back at the carnival. She smiled slightly as memories returned to her of that night. _So much fun... Yet so much misery... _She sighed and placed the picture back in its proper place. She then left the room to see Remington standing right in front of her. She gave him a puzzled look then quietly asked, "Yes...?"

"Are you willing to go out on an errand for me?" Remington asked the young Apostle.

* * *

Rose walked out of the room, shaking her head. _He was being delirious at the time. That has to be why. _She banged her head against the door as she leaned against it. _There has to be_ something _I can do!_ She blushed deeply as her heart continued to pound at a great speed from the memory of the enticing kiss. She shook her head once more than stood straight up, going down the hallway. After some time, she went up the stairs towards the dormitories. She came to a halt when she saw Azmaria and Stella walking down the hall fully packed as though they were going on a very long trip. She raised an eyebrow then crossed her arms, standing directly in their way.

"And just where are you two planning on going?" Rose asked.

"Don't be jealous just because you didn't get called on a mission this once," Stella said through narrowed eyes.

"Oh, trust me, I'm not jealous," Rose said through narrowed eyes as well. "I'm just worried about Az. You _do_ realize Aion and the others are after her, right?"

"Yes. I am fully aware of that," Stella said then crossed her arms, smirking. "And, unlike you, I will not have Aion so easily regain her into his grasp."

Rose's eyes widened in anger as she held up a fisted hand. "You were there that night, too! It wasn't just my fault that we lost her! Besides, you just picked a _wonderful _time to go off and leave that old dude with Azmaria! He doesn't and didn't stand a chance against a demon!"

"And you chose the _greatest_ time of them all, I suppose, when you decided to go be lovey-dovey with your demon boyfriend!" Stella cried out defensively.

"Just because he's a demon doesn't mean a damn thing!" Rose cried.

"Excuse me..." Azmaria said softly.

"And just because Steiner's old doesn't mean anything either!" Stella shouted.

"Excuse me," Azmaria said a little louder as she looked up ahead, backing up a few steps.

"It's not my fault he died!" Rose yelled.

"And it's not my fault your boyfriend's dying!" Stella exclaimed.

"And it's not my fault you two are making quite the ruckus due to your rivalry!" a lady's voice broke in.

Stella and Rose instantly became silent, turning around to face a dark brown haired woman, glasses covering her brown eyes. The woman looked to be forty, a few gray strands of hair revealing themselves. Her outfit compromised of the same exact clothing Sister Kate had worn, her shoes being black heels. The woman had her arms crossed, watching the two girls through narrowed eyes.

Rose backed up a few steps, slightly sweatdropping as she held her hands up in front of herself defensively. "Eh-heh. Hey, Mom."

_Mom?_ Stella thought, raising an eyebrow. She watched the woman, concluding that she was the headmistress of the Order. "Listen, I personally don't give a care what punishment you serve your ill-tempered daughter, but Azmaria and I have a mission to accomplish."

"I am aware of that, Miss Havenheight, but if you are going to be staying within the Order, I suggest you try to stay a little more quiet," the woman said then turned her attention to Rose. "And how many times do I have to tell you not to be yelling or fighting in the Order before it gets through to you?!"

"I-I-I-Mom! She started it to begin with thinking she's all high and mighty just because she's super rich and spoiled!" Rose cried out.

"I'm not spoiled!" Stella growled out.

Rose ignored the red haired jewel summoner. "Mom!"

"You're always causing such a ruckus, Rose. Honestly, if it's not Chrno, it's the other Sisters. If not them, then you decide to create a yelling match between you and Stella. It's time you grow up, Rose," the headmistress said.

Rose growled as she went up to her mother. "Is it really my fault everyone _tries_ to get on my nerves?! No! The only reason I even yell at Chrno or something is either just for fun or because he obviously did something that made me angry! And the same goes for pretty much everyone else, too!"

"You two are pretty much causing a ruckus as well," a man's voice broke in between the arguing pair.

The woman and Rose looked in the direction of the voice to see Yuan Remington standing there with a grin spread across his lips. He went over to the woman, placing an arm around her shoulders then kissing her on the cheek, his eyes holding warmth within them.

"Gabriela, this is a regular occurrence between the two of you everyday. Allow Rose to go," Yuan told the woman. He then turned his attention to Rose. "I believe you wouldn't want to leave Chrno's side that's why I sent Azmaria and Stella to go out on this mission and not you."

Gabriela was about to protest, but chose to remain silent, looking towards her daughter. Perhaps if it weren't for the fact that Rose was Rosette Christopher but also Mary Magdalene, she wouldn't have allowed either Rose or Chrno to be together with one another even if it were only through friendship, not love. But she knew better. Unlike many, she did not think so narrow-mindedly. She could, however, understand why people in the past did think as much and even now due to Aion controlling the whole world.

Rose was caught in two things she wanted to do. True, she wanted to stay by Chrno's side, but she also wanted to go on this mission... Whatever it was. Her eyes suddenly narrowed in suspicion. "Wait just a second. Just what mission are you sending them out on, Father?"

Yuan took a step back, not having expected the sudden question to come out from his daughter's mouth. He regained his composure soon enough and calmly said, "I'm sending them out on a mission in Italy. It is from my resources that I understand there is a young lady who knows very well what we're dealing with. She may even hold the cure."

"In that case, I'm coming along, too," Rose said, determinedly.

"Are you-"

"I'm bringing Chrno with us," Rose said before her father could finish his sentence.

"Are you crazy?!" Stella cried.

"You'll worsen his condition, Rosette," Azmaria explained.

"His body must remain stable. If any outside occurrences get within contact of his body and create an instability, his condition may and will worsen than what it already is," Yuan reasoned.

"It is very dangerous outside the walls of the Order. Though Aion's underdogs would quickly sense the strong holy energy coming from Azmaria, they would sense Chrno's weakening energy at a far more accelerating rate. Demons are more atoned to a demon's energy level than they are to those of holy beings. Azmaria cannot drive as of yet, and Stella and you are the only ones that I believe could put up a fight against a strong legion of demons than you would if you were to fight alone. However, I'm afraid that would not be the case when you go upon this mission for Stella would have to drive and Azmaria would only be able to use her powers to heal when needed. That would leave you to do the fighting on your own, Rose. To add Chrno into the mix would heavy the burden and duty you must carry," Gabriela informed. "Do you still wish to bring Chrno with you?"

Rose walked pass the group, a single word coming out from her lips. "Yes."

* * *

Chrno had almost reached the girl when the face suddenly vanished. He dropped his hand in defeat, slowly closing his eyes. He opened them up instantly when he heard a soothing voice speaking to him.

"You mustn't give up, Chrno," the voice said.

Chrno sat up to see a lit up figure walking over to him. The figure had the face of the girl that he had seen earlier. The girl kneeled down beside him, placing her warm hand on the side of his face.

"You must be strong, not only for my sake but for the sake of others," the girl said then leaned forward, gently kissing the purple haired demon on the cheek. She smiled afterwards. "I will always be by your side, no matter what." With that said, the girl disappeared along with the bright light that had surrounded her appearance.

Chrno placed a hand on his cheek where the girl had kissed him, one name echoing throughout his mind. "Rosette."

* * *

Rose entered the room Chrno was staying in once more. She eyed each of the machines then looked down at her ill comrade. She sighed and went over to his bedside, sitting down next to him. She removed a few strands of hair away from his face, ignoring the heat she felt against her fingertips. _Do I really want to do this? To take this big risk of never seeing him again? To take the risk of getting him killed? To take him away from where he's most safe?_ She sighed again, placing a hand over her clock. _Yes, I'm positive I want to do this._

Rose unconsciously began tracing the demon's jaw line, taking in his gentle features despite knowing full well he wasn't well. It suddenly occurred to her that Chrno was still in his true form and his wounds weren't healing anywhere fast. She knew then that whatever it was that had been shot at him was far more lethal than what she had originally thought.

She began gritting her teeth, not liking the thought of losing her love one bit. "You can't die, you hear me?!" She stood up, a determined expression fixed upon her face. "I won't allow you to." She held the watch up slightly, watching the clock hands spin around crazily, but not so much as to send out shockwaves of electricity off it. She tightened her grip upon it then walked out of the room as the doctors and nurses entered it to get ready for Chrno's departure.

* * *

Stella watched the door leading into Chrno's room, her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall. She and Azmaria were in the hallway, awaiting the young blonde nun to complete whatever it was she was doing before they went out upon their mission.

"She sure has a lot of energy despite what's happened all day today," Stella said quietly. "I'm surprised she hasn't passed out. I'm sure that demon has drained a lot of her life energy today, maybe even half, but, by the way Rose is acting, you would never guess she and Chrno had a contract."

"Rosette is strong. Each time she comes back to life, she comes back far more stronger than before," Azmaria said softly, sitting down next to Stella.

Stella raised an eyebrow then looked away from the young Apostle just as Rose finally exited the room, a swarm of doctors and nurses entering the room afterwards. She went over to the Saint, tossing her long red hair behind her shoulder. "It's about time. Is everything ready now?"

"Almost. They have to get a stretcher and place Chrno on it then carefully put him in the back seat of the vehicle we're stuck driving all the way to Italy," Rose explained.

"We're in America and they expect us to drive all the way across the ocean?" Stella asked, raising an eyebrow. "Just what do they have in mind for us?"

"You'll just have to wait and see," Rose said, casually shrugging as she walked down the hallway.

Stella and Azmaria traded equally puzzled glances before following after Rose.

* * *

"What?! You expect me to drive that piece of junk?!" Stella cried out, clearing outraged with the vehicle choice the Order had made.

"This isn't a 'piece of junk' as you put it so bluntly, Miss Havenheight," the Elder said. "This is my latest invention yet." A hint of a glimmer showed within his eyes behind the strange goggles he wore as he went into detail about the vehicle. "It merely looks like a square from the view of the back because the floor must remain stable that way Chrno's energy doesn't become suddenly instable due to interference from the outside. If he becomes instable in any way, he may die after having a series of shocks or seizures. I'm sure all of you don't want to run that risk."

"Now, you must never judge any vehicle just on appearance," the Elder continued, opening the back doors of the ambulance-like vehicle. "Despite how small it appears on the outside, it is quite large and comfortable on the inside as all of you can see. It is much like a mobile home, but also like a van. It has a refrigerator, sink, bathroom, beds, etcetera. And, of course, a weapons room, which is equipped with all the holy weapons needed as well as bullets in case you run out."

The Elder stepped into the vehicle, ushering for Azmaria, Stella, and Rose to do the same. The three girls reluctantly obeyed, each prepared to hurt the Elder in case he pulled one of his perverted moves.

"The back room is also equipped with a computer board, as you can see. It's exactly right behind the seats for the passenger and driver. You three will need an instructional manual on how to work the thing, but I'm sure little Az can do that once you've gotten started," the Elder explained as he pressed a red button behind the driver's seat revealing a series of computer screens, each telling different information such as a map of their location and destination, much like a GPS; and whether there were any demons within their area of location. "And, finally, the front seats give off the appearance of just two normal people going upon their merry way, making it look like this vehicle is just like any other normal vehicle out there. To the right of the radio there is a small green button that enables you to open or close the black window that's behind both seats leading to the back room."

Rose looked around the room, examining each of the components then turned her attention to the Elder, concern written across her face. "What about medical supplies for demons and humans?"

"They're in the cabinet right next to the fridge," the Elder replied.

"Well, all seems well. Now, you mind handing over the keys?" Stella said, holding out her hand.

A smirk spread across the Elder's face as his face turned red. "Only if you, Rose, and Az allow me to view each of your wonderful panties and let me grope your breasts."

Rose and Stella growled then kicked and punched and did virtually anything to hurt the Elder, grabbing the keys after they both kicked the Elder out of the vehicle. Azmaria just stood there and watched the scene, apologizing for the punishment the two older girls had inflicted upon the Elder after it had been complete. Soon after, the doctors finally came into the room, carefully placing Chrno and the stretcher that held him into the back room.

Rose closed the back doors, locking each of them then sat down on a chair beside Chrno.

"Is everything ready?" Stella asked as she buckled her seat belt then placed the key into the ignition.

Azmaria looked up from the manual the Elder had given her after the doctors had left then looked behind her shoulder towards Rose who simply nodded. A smile spread across Azmaria's face as she watched Rose return to tending to Chrno then turned her attention to Stella. "Yes. Everything's ready, Miss Stella."

Stella nodded then turned her attention ahead to what was to come as she finally started the ambulance vehicle, the large door in front of them rising allowing them exit. She pushed down upon the gas and was soon out of the gates of the Order and on the way towards Italy.

* * *

Yay! I finally got to put Rose's mom in the fic! Lol. I would have put her in it earlier, but the occasion never arose. Anways, hope you all enjoyed it and please don't forget to review on your way out.


	13. The Dangers of Traffic

Evilanimeblond22: Thank you and I will. n.n

Chobit00: Lol. Ryoukai ( I think that's how you spell it x.x).

Rythmic Breathing: I will. n.n As long as I dun have any writer's block, it's no prob. o.o I have no clue, but I believe it to be because ppl dun like reviewing or... They're just too busy. But thanks for the reassurance. n.n

Katrina-chan: Yeah. I seriously neva saw the episodes nor read the manga when I first began writing this. o.o But I have now. I finally have all the episodes and I also have the first two mangas. I was shocked at how close I was to the series, too. x.x Though, I was also a little off. And I'm glad you're enjoying it. n.n

* * *

**Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning**

**By:**

**Guardian Angel of Innocence**

**Chapter Thirteen: The Dangers of Traffic**

The room was still dark and damp, but there seemed to be a faint glimmer of light ahead. If only he could get up. He weakly tried to do so, but only ended up falling back onto his back. He could faintly see a figure within the light, going farther and farther away from his location. He couldn't let the light go away. He couldn't let the figure leave him. He weakly sat up, trying not to allow gravity to pull him back to the ground. He reached out his clawed hand, a single word escaping his lips. "Ro... Sette."

* * *

Azmaria yawned, stretching out her arms after she set the manual to the side. She had made it half way through the book, a piece of ripped paper holding her place.

Stella looked at the young Apostle from the corner of her eye then turned her attention back to the front. "Azmaria, you should go to one of the bedrooms and get some rest."

Azmaria shook her head. "You should, too, Miss Stella."

"Let her stay up if she wants," Rose said, tiredly rubbing her eyes while suppressing a yawn. "If she doesn't want to go to bed, then just leave her alone. But if she falls asleep at the wheel, don't come running to me." She placed her hands behind her head as she leaned back in her seat, watching the ceiling.

"And who's to say I'm going to fall asleep at the wheel?!" Stella cried. "I'm not you! I don't go crashing every vehicle I get my hands on!" She turned around to yell at the blonde haired nun.

"I don't crash _every_ vehicle I drive!" Rose countered, also turning around to yell at the red haired jewel summoner.

"That's not true and you know it," Stella muttered, turning back around to face the road.

Rose was about to protest when she heard Chrno coughing. She quickly spun around to face her sickened comrade, concern replacing the irritation expression she had had on her face just seconds ago. She grabbed a towel and dipped it into a bowel of cold water then gently placed it on Chrno's forehead after squeezing the towel to rid of any excess water. _I could just close the clock, but... If I do that it may just kill him at a far more accelerating rate than it would if I left it open._ She sighed, placing her hand over the symbol of their contract. _His body's trying to fight off whatever was in that bullet so it is using a lot of astral energy._ She shook her head and leaned forward slightly until her face was just inches from Chrno's. She softly whispered into the purple haired demon's ear, "All these precious seconds of my life are all yours and yours alone. I will do whatever it takes for you to live, Chrno." With that said, she lightly kissed him on the cheek then leaned back in her seat after Chrno's coughing had finally come to a cease. The gaze within her eyes became distant as though she were in deep thought or in a different location.

* * *

Unbeknownst Rose, Chrno could hear every word coming from her lips. It seemed to help him gain the strength within the dark room, him finally being able to get to his feet. He began running in the direction of the fading light, holding out his hand as he drew nearer or so he thought. "Rosette... I won't let your life go to waste. I'll keep my promise! I won't let you die again!"

* * *

Stella stopped the van/ambulance/mobile home vehicle, yawning as she stretched out her arms. She had parked underneath a bridge much to her disapproval since she'd prefer to park in a normal parking lot and sleep within a hotel or motel. But, of course, she was very aware of the risk involved in doing that. She reached her hand up to flip a switch that was beside the rear view mirror, curtains covering all the windows. It had to be at least one in the morning. She knew she wouldn't be able to go on without some rest.

She looked to her right to see that Azmaria had already fallen asleep, her head resting against the arm rest while her legs were slightly brought up to her chest, her long light lavender hair covering part of her face and blanketing part of her body. A smile tugged at the edges of Stella's lips as she leaned forward slightly, moving the hair away from Azmaria's face.

Stella stood up afterwards, climbing over her seat into the back room. She was about to go into the bathroom to take a shower when she heard a voice, turning around to face the direction it had come from to see a very tired Rose looking in her direction, still sitting in that same seat beside Chrno.

"Stella, I know you need your rest, but as soon as we eat breakfast after you and Az wake up, let's depart. I... I..."

Stella nodded, smiling slightly, knowing full well what Rose meant. "Don't worry. We'll leave as soon as possible." She turned around to enter the bathroom once more. _I know how important he is to you._

Rose smiled then looked towards Chrno, softly saying, "Thank you, Stella."

* * *

Rose opened her eyes to find herself in complete darkness. At first, she panicked until she remembered where she was. However, if she remembered correctly, she had been sitting on a chair, not the ground. Had she fallen asleep and fallen off the chair afterwards? She grumbled as she stood up only to realize that the air seemed unusually moist, the ground having been slimy. Something was wrong, very wrong. She held her arms out in front of herself as to not trip over anything as she tried to find her way through the darkness, maybe for a switch to turn the lights on. She growled in frustration since she could find none. She hadn't even felt anything while walking around. It was as though the room had been completely emptied except someone had forgotten to take her out as well.

Rose's eyes suddenly widened in horror as panic began to fill her whole system once again. "Chrno! Chrno!" She turned around and began walking back in the direction she had treaded from. It seemed to be hours that she had been walking only to find nothing in her way at all. Tears formed within her eyes as she fell to her knees. She had lost him. Whatever-whoever-had emptied the room had taken Chrno with them. He was doomed for sure now. There was nothing she could do, nothing at all. She brought her knees up to her chest, silently crying to herself. That is... Before a very familiar yet faint voice began shouting, echoing around her.

"Rosette! Rosette!" the voice cried out.

Rose shot her head up, looking around. She quickly wiped her tears away before standing up. A wide smile spread across her lips as she saw Chrno running towards her. However, her smile quickly disappeared as her expression quickly changed to one of concern. She began running towards her demon companion, wondering why his hand was outstretched. "Chrno! You idiot! You're sick! Get back in bed!"

Either Chrno hadn't heard her or he was just way too stubborn or thickheaded. He continued to run towards her as though it meant his life or death.

Rose started to become anxious and looked over her shoulder, expecting a demon to be looming behind her and the reason for Chrno to not be in bed being he was trying to get to her before the demon attacked her. A frown spread across her lips when she saw only darkness, reaching her hand out to carefully feel for any kind of presence that could explain why Chrno was running towards her. Her frown grew deeper when she felt nothing, turning around to face the purple haired demon once more.

"Chrno! Would you quit running already?! You're going to worsen your condition!" Rose cried out, running towards him again.

* * *

Chrno drew closer to the light, it no longer fading and growing brighter as he drew nearer towards the figure. The figure was yelling out his name and scolding him for not being in bed, but he didn't care. Just as long as he could reach his goal. Just as long as he could be with her. He flew up, seeming to gain more strength as he increased his speed in the light's direction.

"Hey! Chrno! Stop it! You're using too much of your energy!" the figure cried.

Chrno held his hand out further as though that would finally cover the distance between him and the approaching figure. "Rosette!"

The figure stopped in their tracks, him instantly recognizing it as the girl he had been calling out. He slowed his approach as he finally reached his goal, landing upon his feet gracefully.

* * *

Rose growled in frustration but more so out of worry as Chrno flew up into the air. She scolded him for doing so, but it seemed nothing would get through to him until he reached her. As soon as he had landed in front of her, Rose went up to Chrno and hit him over the head, glaring at him.

"You idiot! You may have worsened your condition! You-" Before she could utter another word, the purple haired demon held her in a tight embrace, but not tight enough to squeeze the living day lights out of her. Her eyes widened in surprise then changed to ones that held warmth. She hugged him back, resting her head against his chest.

"I'm sorry, Rose... I didn't mean to scare you," Chrno said, softly, stroking her hair.

"It's fine. Just worried. It's my job, you know," Rose said, looking up at him as a sly smirk found its way across her face.

Chrno couldn't help but smile at her words. However, his smile disappeared replaced by an expression filled with seriousness. "Where exactly are we?"

"Inside that vehicle thing the Elder made. We're going to Italy to get a cure for whatever was shot through you," Rose explained, her expression changing back to one of concern. "Are you really okay?" Out of habit she reached a hand up to feel Chrno's forehead for any signs of a fever. To her surprise, his forehead was no longer burning to the touch. She examined his face more closely to see that he really did look well.

"I'm fine, Rose," Chrno said, taking a step back from the closeness Rose was putting towards him.

Rose nodded and was about to say something else when her gaze suddenly became distant. She shook her head and reached out a hand, her body seeming to become transparent. Her name was being called out once more, but she was sure Chrno couldn't hear it; otherwise, he would have already turned in the direction it was coming from. She was slightly beginning to panic from suddenly becoming almost invisible, but she had to say something to Chrno before she disappeared completely.

Chrno placed his hand over hers once it had reached its destination upon the side of his face, his eyes holding concern as he could hardly feel her touch or hand for that matter as well as from seeing her slowly becoming invisible, soon to disappear at any moment. "Rose..."

"I'll always be here for you, remember that," Rose said, softly, before she disappeared completely...

* * *

"Rose!" Stella cried for the umpteenth time that morning. It was now eight in the morning and Rose was _still_ asleep! She and Azmaria had already eaten breakfast and were waiting for the young Saint to wake up so they could go on their way.

"Rosette," Azmaria said, softly, lightly shaking Rose by her shoulders.

Rose groaned and opened both her eyes. Her eyes widened for a second before turning back to their normal size. She looked around finally realizing she had been dreaming all along. She let out a sigh before giving the young Apostle a small smile. "What is it, Az?"

Azmaria let out a sigh of relief and was about to respond when Stella spoke.

"You tell me to get the move on as soon as possible and when I do, I find you still sound asleep off in your own little dream world!" Stella cried.

Rose blinked a few times then looked away, softly saying, "I know..." She stood up, crossing her arms. "Well, let's get going. I'm not hungry anyways so no use bothering with breakfast."

Stella's expression changed to one of understanding and sympathy as she nodded, climbing into the front of the vehicle, Azmaria soon following suit.

Rose sighed again as she heard Stella start the vehicle then start going on their destination again. She watched Chrno, reaching her hand out to feel his forehead. To her surprise, it wasn't burning hot, just slightly warm. She smiled slightly, coming to the conclusion that the purple haired demon was finally becoming better.

* * *

Chrno sat down once Rose had disappeared, the light joining her. He looked up and softly said, "I'll always wait for you, Rosette. No matter what." His gaze fell to the ground as he tried to figure out just how to get out of wherever he really was.

* * *

Stella frowned deeply as she slowly moved the vehicle then stopped again.

Rose was becoming agitated as well, growling in frustration when the van came to a halt once more, her having almost choked on a chip she had been eating. "Dammit! Would you quit that, Stella?!"

"It's not my fault!" Stella shouted. "The traffic's really heavy!"

"How the hell can it be heavy?!" Rose demanded. "Humans hardly ever come out during the day because of Aion!" She got up and looked out the front window, her eyes widening out of surprise and amazement when she saw the traffic really _was_ heavy. She leaned forward, pressing a button to turn the radio on then flipping through the stations until she found one that would inform them of the occurrences around them.

"I'm surprised that thing works," Stella muttered. "Considering the TV stations don't even work."

"Humans are beginning to see the light..." Rose said, softly. She smiled. "They're finally coming out."

"Traffic is heavy all across the states due to the uprising of our species, the humans," the man on the radio said. "A huge rebellious protest is being held against Aion and the rest of the demon species. They are finally fighting for independence after seeing a fierce battle at the Magdalan Church. The people have hope once more, believing the Saint has come to save them."

"Saint?" Stella questioned.

"How did they...?" Rose asked, not fully finishing her question.

"Someone must have witnessed the battle," Azmaria said, quietly.

Rose smiled widely. "Okay! Let's not fail them! We have a world to save, people!"

Stella frowned. "How do you expect us to save the world in this type of traffic?"

Rose's smile instantly disappeared as she let out a sigh. "Good point..." Her eyes suddenly held a glimmer as she grabbed the manual that Azmaria was reading once more.

Azmaria tried protesting but gave up knowing full well that it would be of no use.

Rose flipped through the pages, scanning each of them for what she was searching for. Her eyes suddenly lit up as a wide smile spread across her lips once more. She handed the book to Azmaria, pointing to the page. "Handle that for me, would you? I need to get us through this or we'll be stuck here forever!"

Azmaria looked down the page as Rose waited for the young Apostle to join her in the back room. She slowly nodded after reading all the directions then climbed into the back. "You sure about this, Rosette?"

Rose nodded, giving Azmaria a thumbs up. "I'm positive."

Azmaria nodded then pressed the button behind the driver's seat, the computer system suddenly appearing. She began typing rapidly into the keyboard, surprising both Stella and Rose since neither of them had known Azmaria was good with computers.

Soon enough, a small ring appeared in the center of the room, the gates to it opening up. Rose entered the ring, the gate closing afterwards. Azmaria typed in a few more things before the ring began to raise, a pole underneath it pushing it upwards towards the ceiling. Two doors on the ceiling opened up, the ring going through it. The ring appeared on top of the roof, the two doors closing. Rose began typing a few things into the small keyboard on her right that was attached to the golden railing around her. Afterwards, a microphone appeared from the roof in front of her.

She cleared her voice before speaking into the microphone. "If I can have the attention of everyone, please." Rose paused for a while before speaking once more. "This is Rose Remington of the Magdalan Order speaking. My friends and I have to get through this quickly. One of our dear friends is in great need of medicine. It's a matter between life and death. Please, let us through."

"Rosette," Azmaria said quietly through the communicator that was to the left of Rose attached to the golden railing.

"What is it, Az?" Rose asked.

Azmaria read over the manual once more for reassurance before quietly responding, "It says here that this can make the legs where the wheels are long, thus, allowing us to get through this by having the vehicle go up higher so that it doesn't bump into any other automobiles."

Rose sweatdropped.

"And just how do you expect everyone to move anyways?" Stella asked. "We're not the only ones stuck in this traffic, you know."

Rose frowned deeply then hung her head in defeat, sighing. "Okay. I get it. Sheesh. You don't have to rub it in."

Azmaria turned her attention to one of the computer screens when it began beeping like crazy. Her eyes suddenly widened at the sight the screen displayed upon it. She grabbed the communicator, pressing the gray button down so she could speak into it. "Rosette! We have company!"

Rose growled, grabbing out her gun that had been holstered to her thigh. She quickly loaded it with gospel bullets that had been in her green pouch. She looked around for any sign of the demons, her gun ready in hand. She quickly spun around when she heard screams, her eyes widening in horror.

Jenai and Bit were both flying in the air, both their hands with palms faced towards a group of vehicles. They both had shot out an enormous blast from their hands causing several of the vehicles to blow up as well as kill the people within them. Afterwards, people had begun running out of their vehicles in the opposite direction of the two demons.

Rose growled, gritting her teeth. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the two demons were smiling and laughing at the pleasure of killing hundreds of innocent people. She aimed her gun at them.

Azmaria's eyes widened at the sight of Jenai and Bit shooting the blast. Tears filled her eyes as she quickly looked away from the horrible scene.

Stella growled. "Azmaria, get the vehicle ready! We have to get out of here before they figure out we have Chrno with us!"

Azmaria nodded as Stella grabbed the communicator from her.

Stella pressed the gray button, warning Rose, "And don't you dare pull anything drastic!"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Just get us the hell out of here!"

* * *

Jenai laughed as he watched his and Bit's blast destroy the vehicles and people within them. "That's what you get for rebelling against us."

Bit laughed as well as he held his hand out once more, a large black blast forming within his hand. "Who wants to be next?"

Jenai smirked at his comrade's rashness, his smirk growing more so when he suddenly sensed the two strong energies belonging to that of only two people. He looked in the direction it was coming from to see a vehicle with Rose standing on top of it with her gun pointed at him and Bit. "Today's our lucky day."

Bit looked in the direction his comrade was looking in then smirked. "I agree."

The two demons began flying in Rose's direction.

* * *

Rose watched the two demons through narrowed eyes. She didn't exactly heed Stella's warning and was becoming extremely impatient. "What the hell's taking you so long?!"

"Sorry, Rosette," Azmaria apologized as she typed in the codes.

"She's only one girl, Rose! You can't expect her to be done just like that!" Stella cried.

Rose growled then shook her head. "Whatever. Just get us out of here before these two morons catch on." She watched the demons as they drew nearer then began firing her gun several times. Much to her dismay, both of them dodged her bullets.

Azmaria smiled when she had finally completed her mission at hand. The car suddenly rose several feet, long poles extending so that they allowed the vehicle to rise while also keeping the wheels on the ground as well as the vehicle in perfect balance.

Rose smirked slightly when she was at about the same height the two demons were in. "Time to say your goodbyes." She fired several more rounds at them, them being too shocked and surprised by the sudden occurrence to take full notice of it.

Jenai quickly caught on and flew to the side barely just in time. His comrade, Bit, however, wasn't as lucky, the bullet hitting him. Though, it only gave the larger demon grievous wounds, not enough to kill him as of yet.

"You witch!" Bit yelled, holding his hand out towards her, the large blast forming within his hand once more.

Rose's eyes widened.

* * *

Chrno stirred in his sleep catching the attention of Stella and Azmaria.

"Chrno?" Azmaria questioned quietly, watching the purple haired demon with concern.

Chrno weakly sat up, his eyes slightly glazed over as he looked in Azmaria's direction. "Rosette...?"

Azmaria shook her head. "She's busy right now, Chrno." She pointed up at the ceiling.

Chrno looked up, slowly nodding. His mind felt foggy, his head suddenly feeling light. He shook his head, trying to get everything straight but couldn't seem to be able to. His vision was slightly blurred, hardly recognizing the objects and people around him. He weakly stood on the floor, stumbling back a few steps. Azmaria quickly ran to his side, awkwardly supporting him.

"Azmaria, try to keep him out of sight. The demons are above us," Stella said as she drove the vehicle over the others, trying her best to keep the battle from involving any others in it.

Azmaria slowly nodded.

Chrno tried to comprehend the occurrences around him as well as everything being said.

* * *

"Stella, move it!" Rose yelled into the communicator. "Bit's going to fire at us! I don't want to run the risk of killing everyone around us!"

"Calm down, Bit," Jenai warned. "We still need the Saint and Apostle."

Bit growled, but reluctantly obeyed his comrade.

Rose let out a sigh of relief then let out a cry of pain when several cuts were placed on her back, leaving holes in the back of her militia outfit here and there. She growled and spun around to see Arachnia standing upon the roof of the vehicle. Her eyes widened suddenly out of realization. She grabbed the communicator. "Step on it!"

Stella nodded. "Prepare yourselves."

Azmaria nodded and sat down on the couch, dragging Chrno with her then buckling the seatbelts to them both.

Stella stepped on the gas, increasing the speed greatly.

* * *

Arachnia's eyes widened out of surprise as the vehicle began moving, sending her slipping off it. However, she caught the rim of the vehicle before she could go splat upon the cars and ground beneath her. She growled.

* * *

Jenai and Bit both rushed at Rose as she fired at them again. Jenai quickly knocked the gun away from the Saint's hands. She growled, grabbing out her other one that had been attached to her left thigh. She quickly loaded it then began firing once more.

* * *

Azmaria let out a cry when she saw Arachnia begin to put dents into the back door so she could save herself from an unfortunate death. She quickly grabbed Chrno's hand, unbuckling their seatbelts, then dragged him into the bathroom. "Stay here. You'll be far more safe here than out there." With that said, she quickly shut the door and locked it before the demon could protest. She then ran into the weapon room, grabbing one of the guns and quickly loading it with sacred bullets. Afterwards, she ran back into the room with her gun pointed at the back doors.

* * *

Rose let out a cry of pain when Jenai had cut her across her stomach with his blade, not so much as to kill her but only enough to cause her harm. She growled and fired her gun at him, but he merely blocked the bullets with his sword. The odds were greatly against her, two to one, maybe even three. But she wouldn't give up for Chrno's sake as well as everyone else's.

* * *

Arachnia finally broke through the two doors, smirking. She then caught sight of the young Apostle and the gun. "Are you really going to shoot me with that?"

"I will, yes," Azmaria said, determinedly. Her finger drew nearer to squeezing the trigger.

Arachnia watched the gun and its owner closely. "To think at one point you were such a wimp. Now you're shooting demons down? Ha. No matter what you do to cover it up, Apostle, you will always be seen as a weakling."

"You're wrong," Stella said, though, her opinion didn't matter as much due to the fact she was driving and was helpless to do much else.

"Heh. You can do nothing, but sit and watch, Jewel Summoner," Arachnia said then held her hands out, shooting webbing at the young Apostle.

Azmaria let out a cry.

* * *

Chrno heard the commotion going on outside, wondering what was going on. He had finally sorted through some of the confusion his mind had put him through, but he still couldn't help but feel extremely weak. He wondered why and if it was because he had gotten sick again.

His brows furrowed together then his eyes widened in realization. Just when the heck had he gotten that taller than Azmaria? He looked in the mirror, his eyes widening even more if at all possible. He was in his true form. Where was Rosette? Why hadn't she sealed the clock? How much of her life had been used? How could he be sick if he was in this form? He never got sick in his true form before.

Chrno shook his head, going over to the door and placing his hand on the cold knob. He tried to turn it but to no avail. He sighed in exasperation then pressed his ear to the door to at least catch some hint as to what was going on. Above him, he could hear a very familiar girl's voice crying out in pain followed by gunshots. In the room near his, he heard steel being ripped apart until it was finally broken followed by three voices speaking. Afterwards, he heard another familiar girl's voice crying out in pain. He had to do something other than stay locked up in here. He growled out of irritation, turning around to look for another means of an exit. His eyes caught sight of a window.

* * *

Jenai cut Rose across the arm, Bit grabbing her by the upper part of her uniform then lifting her up above him at arm length.

"Heh, heh. Looks like you lose this time," Bit said.

Rose winced, but a smirk spread across her lips. "I think you're wrong."

Before the demon could react, she brought her gun up at arm length then fired it, the bullet going straight through the demon's head before killing him all together. She let out a slight cry as she hit the roof of the vehicle hard, leaving a small dent in it. She winced once more as she sat up. Jenai pointed his blade at her throat before she could do anything else, having dropped her gun when she had gotten rid of Bit.

* * *

"Azmaria!" Stella cried.

Azmaria winced as the webbing cut into her skin, leaving gashes all over the place as well as ripping her clothing where she had been cut. Arachnia smiled then released the girl from the webbing. Azmaria fell to her knees, tears threatening to come down. But she wouldn't give up just as Rosette wouldn't. She held her gun up.

"May God have mercy upon your soul," Azmaria said, softly, before firing her gun.

Arachnia's eyes widened as she quickly placed a webbing shield in front of herself. The shield blocked the bullet but barely. She growled as she lowered the shield. "If it weren't for the fact that Aion needed you, I would have killed you a long time ago."

* * *

Chrno broke the window then climbed out of it, deciding not to fly out of concern for his precious contractor. He didn't want to use any astral energy that was unnecessary. He climbed up the vehicle as best as he could without losing his grip or footing. Finally, he reached the roof. His golden eyes widened when he saw the sight. He growled and quickly got to his feet, rushing forward and punching Jenai in the face causing him to fly back and crash into the roof, leaving a large dent upon it.

Rose looked at Chrno, her eyes widening out of surprise. A smile then spread across her lips at the thought of her partner finally being well.

Jenai growled and stood up, wiping the blood away from his lip as he turned his attention to the purple haired demon. "To be truthful, I hadn't expected that." He smirked. "I thought you would be dead from that halo bullet by now."

"Halo?" Rose questioned then shook her head as she stood up, pointing her gun at Jenai once again. "Explain."

"I have nothing further to say of it," Jenai said, smirking.

Chrno growled then rushed forward, bringing his fist downward, yellow electricity pouring out of it. Jenai quickly blocked the attack with his blade, growling.

"Don't you dare!" Jenai shouted then punched Chrno in the face, his golden spiked knuckles leaving deep gashes in his face.

"Chrno!" Rose cried. She growled, throwing her gun to the side. "That's it. I've had it with you!"

Chrno winced, placing a hand where he had been wounded. He quickly wiped the blood away then turned his attention to Rose, his eyes widening.

Jenai turned his attention to Rose, his eyes widening as well.

* * *

Azmaria stayed silent as she eyed the spider demon. A voice then spoke within her mind, a very familiar calm, comforting voice.

"Use the power of the Heavens to defeat your opponent, Az," the voice said.

Azmaria nodded, closing her eyes.

Arachnia watched Azmaria clearly amused.

* * *

Rose closed her eyes, a strong white holy energy surrounding her. Her hair began to slightly float pass her shoulders. Her outfit miraculously changed to one that was a long white gown, but still clung to her body much like her militia uniform. The gown seemed to slightly float up as well, but not to the point of where it would leave Chrno blushing for days. She no longer wore boots nor gloves. She was barefoot and hand. The only clothing worn upon her being the simple white gown. The energy seemed to glow brighter as she opened her eyes, them being a lighter shade of blue than they normally were.

Jenai took a step back, putting his sword up to block the blinding light. "It can't be. Impossible!"

"Rosette?" Chrno questioned, concern showing clearly upon his features.

Rose took a step forward; seeming to float on air with each step she took. She reached Chrno's side then placed a gentle hand on the side of his face. "Chrno..." She smiled slightly. "I've caused you so much trouble." She shook her head.

"Rosette, you never-"

"It's fine. Don't worry about it," Rose said before Chrno could protest. She then left his side, taking a few steps towards Jenai. She came to a halt once she was within a few feet of him. "As for you... I'm afraid I can no longer forgive you for your sins. Your sins are far too grievant for anyone to tolerate. You had your choice of finally coming to a halt, but you choice to not repent and continue to do what you sought as being best."

"You are not God. Who are you to say whether I should be forgiven or not?!" Jenai demanded.

"No. I am not. But I am the Saint and as long as I am upon Earth, I shall decide your fate from past and present crimes and kindness you have caused!" Rose said then brought her hands together. Afterwards, she spread them apart, a lance appearing within her hands. She held it above her head then spun it around a few times. Afterwards, she threw it at its target. "And I'm afraid your kindness is nowhere near to surpassing your crimes."

The lance broke through Jenai's armor and went straight through his heart, passing onto the other side of his armor. Holy light seemed to swirl around and within Jenai's body before he completely exploded into small white particles of light. Before dying, Jenai let out a cry of pain; vowing vengeance would be his.

* * *

Azmaria began to sing a beautiful melody as light blue energy began to form around her fragile figure. Angelic wings came out from her back as her outfit changed to a sky blue gown that reached her feet. Her light lavender hair flew up slightly along with the gown. She no longer wore any shoes and her hair came loose of its bow, the ribbon falling to the ground.

Arachnia backed up out of fear while Stella stopped the vehicle, watching in awe.

"How can...? What is...?" Arachnia asked, not fully comprehending the situation. She growled and glared at the ceiling. "This is her doing!" She held her hand upward, a large amount of webbing forming within her hand.

Stella growled, climbing over the seats into the back. "I don't think so!" She held her hand out, placing the other over the small green jewel. "Laden!"

The large knight appeared within the vehicle. Stella sent it out towards Arachnia. At that same moment, Azmaria opened her eyes, them being a lighter shade of red. She placed her hands together, the light blue energy leaving her body and forming into a small light blue ball of energy within the palms of her hands. She then shot out the energy once it had grown to the size she wanted. Stella had the knight bring his blade down at the same exact time. Arachnia's eyes widened as she quickly and desperately put up a webbing shield in front of herself. The knight broke through the webbing with ease, the energy ball hitting Arachnia afterwards. Arachnia let out a cry as she fell out from the vehicle.

"You may have won this battle, but you have not won this war!" Arachnia shouted before she disappeared all together.

* * *

Rose fell to her knees as the white energy finally left her body. Her eyes turned back to their normal shade of blue while her hair found its place back upon her shoulders. Her outfit changed back to the militia uniform. Sweat was pouring down Rose's face as her breath came out in short wheezes.

"Rosette!" Chrno cried, rushing to her side. He placed one clawed hand underneath her chin, gently titling it upwards as well as turned it so that their eyes met. His eyes held concern while hers held exhaustion.

Rose smiled weakly. "Chrno..." She hugged him much to his surprise, tears filling her eyes. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Chrno embraced the young Saint. "Yeah... But..." He gently held her out at arms length, looking her over for any signs of wounds. He winced at the sight of them. "You need to get patched up. And..." He lifted the clock slightly from its place. "You need to seal this."

Rose shook her head, smiling. "It's fine, Chrno." She placed her hand over his and the clock. "I'll be fine."

Chrno's eyes slightly narrowed. "How much of your life has been used up, Rose?"

"Not much," Rose said, smiling weakly.

That didn't cause Chrno to become any happier. "And how long has the seal been open?"

"Uhhh..." Rose scratched the back of her head. "Well..."

"I knew it," Chrno muttered. "Close it."

"No!" Rose shouted, standing up despite the urge she felt to sit back down since her body felt very weak at the moment.

Chrno stood up as well. "Rosette..."

"I know damn well you're not totally okay," Rose said, looking straight in his eyes, daring him to lie to her.

Chrno remained silent, his gaze turning away from hers.

"I knew it!" Rose cried. She went up to him, catching his gaze with hers once more. "Don't you dare look away. You shouldn't have gotten out of bed to begin with. And if you had absolutely no choice, you should have at least stayed where you were safe. I dragged you along on this mission because it would have been far quicker to get you that medicine than it would have been to just leave you behind. I knew the risks, but I didn't bring you to get yourself into trouble!"

Chrno shook his head, wrapping one arm around her waist suddenly drawing her closer to him as he used his other hand to gently tilt her chin upwards, gazing into her eyes. "If I hadn't come, Jenai could have kidnapped you. I wouldn't have allowed that. It would have..."

"It wouldn't have been your fault," Rose said, softly. "You were ill, very ill."

"It's my fault for becoming ill. If I had known-"

"And you didn't so it wasn't your fault!" Rose cried out of irritation. "Stop blaming yourself for everything!"

Chrno remained silent, speechless at what to say.

Rose smiled, knowing words weren't needed as she stood upon her tiptoes, lightly kissing Chrno in the lips. She hadn't actually meant to kiss him; it just came out of nowhere more than anything else. Chrno's eyes widened slightly out of surprise then closed as he kissed her back, placing his hand that had been on her chin only a few seconds ago on the back of her head deepening the kiss. Rose wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing his tongue to pass through her lips. Him and her both battled the other's tongue, enjoying the kiss, both hoping the kiss would never end...

* * *

Azmaria fell to her knees out of exhaustion as her outfit changed back to the one she had been wearing earlier, her red eyes darkening back to their normal color while her lavender hair fell back into place. Her breath was coming out in sharp wheezes while a few drops of sweat found their way down her face and onto the ground.

Stella lowered her arm as the knight disappeared. She went beside Azmaria, kneeling down beside her. "You okay, kid?"

Azmaria looked towards Stella, nodding. "Yes. Sorry. Using that power was... Tiring. I've never used it like that before."

Stella nodded in understanding then stood up. _Question is... Just where did you get all that power and strength?_

* * *

And here's yet another long chappie. Not as long as the other, but close enough. Anyways, I hoped you guys enjoyed it. n.n And dun forget to review on your way out. Thank you in advance.


	14. Preparations

**Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning**

**By:**

**Guardian Angel of Innocence**

**Chapter Fourteen: Preparations **

Emerald frowned as her tail twitched in agitation from the news she, Aion, and the others had received concerning Jenai and Bit's whereabouts. "Awwwwwwwww. How unfun." She pouted.

Aion merely brought his spectacles a bit higher up the bridge of his nose then looked at the young cat demon from the corner of his eye. "Emerald?"

"Ah. Yes, Lord Aion?" Emerald asked, turning her full attention upon her leader.

"How are the preparations coming along?" Aion asked, not turning around to face Emerald.

"Umm..." Emerald fidgeted, two of her small clawed fingers pushing at the other giving her the appearance of a young child that had been caught in the act of doing something they shouldn't have. Her gaze was lowered so that she wouldn't have to look at her lord's face when he found out the news. "It seems I made a tiny little miscalculation, Lord Aion."

Arachnia looked over at the cat demon, her face holding something between anger and irritation. She had finally patched up her grievous wounds she had received from Azmaria and Stella, vowing to get revenge for her two lost comrades due to the fact that it would slow down her lord's dream. "What do you mean you made a 'tiny little miscalculation'?!"

Emerald squirmed somewhat before saying in a very small voice, "It seems instead of missing just the Apostle of Charity and Fortitude, we're also missing the Apostle of Prudence."

Arachnia instantly stood up going after the young cat demon then shot out web from her hands, sticking the young demon to the wall. Afterwards, she placed one clawed hand over her throat, lifting her slightly higher than what the web was holding her. "What do you mean we're missing the Apostle of Prudence?!"

Emerald squirmed under the crushing hold Arachnia had upon her throat, gasping for air to reach her lungs. "It... Was... A... Mistake... It seemed... The 'Apostle'... We... Kidnapped... Was merely a... Fake... Their power... Was just... Slightly higher... Than normal... Thus... Allowing the mistake... To be... Made..."

"And how do we know the rest of the Apostles aren't just fakes?!" Arachnia demanded, tightening her hold upon Emerald's throat.

"Arachnia! That's enough!" Aion ordered, finally turning to face the two.

Arachnia reluctantly obeyed Aion, releasing Emerald and settling for giving her a glare.

Aion took a few steps forward then placed his hands on Emerald's shoulders. "Is it just that Apostle?"

Emerald slowly nodded.

Aion turned to face Joshua, a grin spreading across his face. "Joshua, could you please get rid of the fake?"

Joshua stood up from the seat he was sitting on, Fiore standing beside him. He smiled, nodding. "Yes. I'll do that." He walked out the room, Fiore following after.

Aion turned back around to face Emerald. "Find out who the other Apostle is."

"Yes!" Emerald said, bowing her head slightly then running off into her laboratory.

Aion walked over to the window, placing his hand against the cold window. _Soon... Soon our dream will finally be realized..._ He smiled. _Chrno._

* * *

Stella nodded after hearing Rose's story of what had happened while she and Chrno had been fighting. Her, Azmaria, Chrno, and Rose were in the back room trying to figure out just what had happened and how Azmaria and Rose had gained such power so suddenly. After the battle had finally ended, Stella had began driving once more, coming to a halt in front of the pier after turning the vehicle back to its normal size.

"It was exhausting," Azmaria said, softly.

Chrno gave her a concerned look then gave Rose the same exact look. "Rose...?"

Rose looked at Chrno then instantly stood up, smiling weakly as she let out a nervous laugh. "Don't worry about me. I'm just fine."

Chrno stood up, his expression still filled with concern. "Are you sure?"

Rose frowned and began walking away towards her bedroom. "Yes. I'm positive. Sheesh. You're such a worrywart, Chrno."

"You're the one who chose not to close the watch," Chrno muttered. "For all we know, your life could probably already be half way used up."

Rose turned to face him, her eyebrow twitching. "And you should be thankful that I left it open, otherwise, you would already be dead!"

Chrno remained silent before saying quietly, "If I was dead, we wouldn't have to worry about your life being depleted."

Rose was about to hit Chrno over the head for making such a comment, but Stella beat her to it.

"How dare you say that!" Stella cried, angrily. "I know there's a reason the contract was made in the first place and that was to keep you alive!"

"It was formed so I can help to save Joshua," Chrno said.

"Chrno!" Rose yelled and grabbed him by the ends of his pointed ears causing him to wince. "Remember this, I'm Magdalene _and_ Rosette! I didn't just form a contract with you for the sake of Joshua! I did it because I wanted you to live! The same applies for the third time I was reincarnated and now!"

Chrno was taken slightly aback by this, his expression slightly filling with sorrow as he remembered all the ways she had died. "It's my fault you had-"

"It was the fate I chose!" Rose cried. "I chose it, therefore, it wasn't your fault, Chrno!"

Chrno was about to protest once more when he suddenly fell to his knees, the world spinning around him. His head was pounding and felt as though it was going to split open at any given moment. His stomach gave a violent lurch and he let out a hoarse cough, covering his mouth with his clawed hand.

Rose's eyes widened in horror as she quickly ran to Chrno's side, kneeling down beside him. "Chrno!" She felt helpless as she watched him begin to shake violently. She looked down at his clawed hand after he was done coughing to see blood and some yellow liquid on it. Her eyes widened even more if at all possible. "Stella, go get some water! Azmaria, try to find some sort of medicine that can at least stop this... Virus from affecting him any further for at least a while!"

Stella nodded and quickly ran into the kitchen area while Azmaria ran into the room where the medical supplies were kept.

Chrno could barely register the occurrences going on around him, his heart beating too hard and rapidly that it was beginning to deafen him. He felt Rose place a gentle hand upon his shoulder, trying to suppress yet another cough to keep her from worrying but failed.

Tears filled Rose's eyes as she hugged Chrno from the side. "I'm so sorry, Chrno!" Her tears began to go down her face as though it were a river that had finally broken free of its dam. "I'm not strong enough to help heal your body!" _My life energy isn't helping one bit!_

Chrno weakly hugged her back, using his blood-free hand to stroke her hair, trying to comfort his young contractor. "Rosette... It's not your..." He coughed once more, his eyelids threatening to shut. "It's not your fault."

His reassurance didn't seem to help and seemed to only worsen the situation instead as Rose began to sob horribly.

"Quit your crying," Stella said as she returned to the room with a bowel of water and a small towel. "Crying won't solve anything."

Rose looked up at Stella after wiping her tears away then growled. "Shut up! No one was asking you!" She stood up then grabbed the bowel, her anger quickly vanishing to be replaced by sorrow. "Thank you, Stella." She smiled weakly then returned to Chrno's side, dipping the towel into the water then wiping away the blood that had formed around his mouth and anywhere else. "I told you to stay in bed, you idiot. I wish you would listen to me next time."

Chrno smiled slightly at her concern, their feelings not needing to be said for the other. They both understood each other very well and he knew she knew he wouldn't listen to her at all when it came to her life. "You would do the same if you were me, Rosette, and you know it damn well."

Rose smirked slightly, but shook her head as it disappeared. "That's beyond the point. It's my job to protect you, not the other way around. Until you're well and I mean well, not slightly, then you can return to protecting me if you want. But, until then, you had better stay in bed or I'll be giving to a clobbering once you really are better."

Azmaria returned to the room, seeming to be out of breath. "This is the only thing I could find, Rosette." She held up a bottle filled with a lavender creamed liquid reminding Rose of Pepto-Bismol other than the color being very off.

Rose took the bottle, reading the directions over. "It'll have to do." She turned the bottle over to read its title to see that it was plainly called "Demon Syrup". She frowned at the blunt title, muttering, "The people who made this need to get a better imagination."

Azmaria handed her a spoon, watching Chrno with concern and uncertainty.

Rose gladly took the spoon then twisted medicine bottle's cap off. Afterwards, she poured the creamy liquid onto the spoon then held it in front of Chrno's mouth. "Open up."

Chrno stared at the liquid, his expression changing to one of disgust as he caught the scent the medicine held. He shook his head, recoiling slightly.

Rose frowned deeply. "I said open up, Chrno!" She leaned forward quickly before Chrno could make his get away then gently opened his mouth then pushed the spoon into his mouth. She took it out afterwards, sitting back down and letting out a breath.

Chrno reluctantly swallowed the bitter liquid, his face becoming twisted even more from disgust.

Rose smiled slightly. "Az, can you bring me a glass of water for Chrno? I think he's in badly need of it."

Chrno gave Rose a plain look while she only stuck out her tongue in turn.

Azmaria nodded and ran off once more.

Rose turned to face Stella. "We shouldn't dally here any longer. Let's get going already!"

"How do you expect us to do that?" Stella asked, raising an eyebrow. "I just checked all the docks and none of them have us signed up as passengers on any of them. Your stupid perverted Elder forgot to get us a ship."

A smirk spread across Rose's lips. "Well... Stella, you _are_ rich. Why don't you just buy us a luxurious liner? I'm sure that'll do just fine. Unless you'd rather go on a _normal_ ship."

Stella's eyebrow twitched slightly. She turned around with a huff then went out the back doors to do just that. She stopped before fully leaving, saying, "You'll need a more appropriate choice of wardrobe if you want me to get you or any of your friends onto that ship." With that, she was gone.

Rose stuck out her tongue then helped Chrno up, leading him to a chair.

"You're so predictable, Rosette," Chrno said, shaking his head.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Yeah. And?"

Chrno smiled slightly, feeling better from the medicine given to him. Though, he knew it was only temporarily. "It's just like you to go and start a fight with Stella, that's all."

"Well, she's only going thinking she's better than us just because she's The-Million-Dollar-Princess," Rose said, smirking once more before her face changed back to one of concern. "But, enough of that, you need your rest."

Chrno nodded. "Then I will rest." He crossed his arms, his head drooping slightly as he closed his golden eyes.

Rose smiled then stood up as Azmaria came into the room once more.

"He's already asleep?" Azmaria asked, clearly surprised by how quick the demon had fallen asleep.

Rose nodded, taking the cup from Azmaria and setting it down beside Chrno on the table. She then smiled. "I'm no girly-girl, but we have to go shopping."

"I heard the conversation back in the kitchen when I was coming back, but where exactly are we going to get the money?" Azmaria asked.

"Who else? Stella," Rose said, shrugging.

* * *

Stella walked along the docks once more, hugging herself to keep warm, her breath coming out in small white puffs. The bitter chilly wind blew by nipping into her exposed flesh causing her to shiver. She glared in the direction the vehicle was, muttering something incoherent underneath her breath. She then turned her attention back upon her destination then came to a stop when she spotted the lifeline to getting them out of there, a wide smile gracing her red lips.

* * *

"Are you sure that it's all right if we leave Chrno all alone?" Azmaria asked, anxiously for the umpteenth time since she and Rose had arrived at the mall.

Rose smiled. "Don't worry, Az. He'll be fine. Besides, Aion and the others won't be bugging us for a while." She smirked. "Plus, I heard from Remington a few hours ago that they're not missing one Apostle and Saint, they're missing two Apostles and a Saint. That, of course, means it's our duty to find the last Apostle before Aion gets a hold of them." She looked up ahead; spotting the store that would be perfect to buy "appropriate" clothing for the cruise they would be going upon. Rose grabbed Azmaria's hand and began making a run for it towards the small shop.

* * *

Chrno looked out a window, the sun gazing into it and lighting up the room around him. Beside him stood a blonde haired girl, her blue eyes fixed upon the two small blue jays chirping upon a tree branch nearby.

"You mustn't make the same mistake again, Chrno," the girl said, turning to face him, a sad smile upon her lips. "If you do, it could mean the end of the world."

Chrno looked at the girl, his eyes widening. "Mary?!"

The girl, Mary Magdalene, went up to him and gently placed her warm palm against the side of his face, a tear trailing down her face. "I will always be with you, but you cannot mess my soul-Rose's soul-our soul up any further or I may-we may never return again."

Chrno placed his hand over hers, closing his eyes. "I understand." He opened his eyes to see Rosette, the original one, taking Mary's place. "Rosette..."

Rosette removed her hand, crossing her arms. "Chrno, you're being trouble as usual. I leave for a while and what happens? The world's being controlled by Aion." She smirked slightly, poking his nose with her finger. "As for you, what's with the moping around?" She backed up a bit. "You should know by now I'll never leave your side." Her smirk disappeared, being replaced by a genuine smile before she disappeared as well to be replaced by the next reincarnation.

Rosette tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder, shaking her head. "Honestly, Chrno, I would have expected this whole stupid war to be over by now. Oh, well." She shrugged, smiling slightly. "Pickers can't be choosers, ne?" She went over to him, looking up into his eyes. "Promise me you'll at least get Joshua back into safety if our souls must perish once and for all."

Chrno nodded. "I promise, but..." Determination took the place of the warmth and sorrow he had had within his eyes. "I won't allow your soul to die again."

Rosette shook her head. "That is up to Fate, not you." She disappeared before Chrno could protest, being replaced by the present form all three incarnations were currently in.

Rose looked out the window then at Chrno, placing her hands on her hips. "You _are_ getting your rest, right?" She went over to him, placing a hand on his forehead before he could answer her. She smiled when she found his forehead wasn't all that warm, being at the normal temperature it was supposed to be at.

"I'm fine, Rose," Chrno said, smiling at her concern for him before he placed his hands upon her shoulders. "But Fate does not lead us. We make our own paths."

"I know that, Chrno," Rose said, looking into his eyes and he swore for a sec that he saw all three incarnations' souls within her blue eyes as well as her own soul. "I carry the strength of four and with this strength, I will prevent Aion from winning this war." She looked away. "I swear you worry way too much for your own good."

Chrno was about to speak when she prevented him from doing so, turning to face him with a smile upon her lips.

"I'm thankful that you care and that you're alive, but..." Rose's expression changed to one of determination. "I won't have you die protecting me."

"Rose!" Chrno protested. "It's-"

"I'm not going to lose you! And I'm not going to leave you either, so quit being so damn overprotective of me!" Rose cried before disappearing, leaving Chrno alone within the bright room.

* * *

"Chrno doesn't look too well," Azmaria said as she entered the vehicle from the back carrying many bags that obviously held a lot of clothing within them, Rose joining her.

Rose looked over in Chrno's direction, concern etching her features. She quickly handed the bags to Azmaria before running over to the purple haired demon's side. "Chrno...?" She placed her hands upon his shoulder, watching a few sweat drops going down his face while his skin became slightly paler than what it usually was. She grabbed the glass of water that had been set there earlier, obviously never having been used, then tipped it over his head in hopes of either waking him up or cool him down from what ever it was that had caused him to suddenly sweat.

"Are you sure that was a good idea, Rosette?" Azmaria asked, anxiously. "Maybe it was the cold sweat kind."

Rose's stomach seemed to do a flip, her starting to feel suddenly sick. She shook her head, placing a hand to Chrno's even wetter forehead, feeling it slightly cool beneath her skin. She let out a sigh of relief, the stomach flips coming to an end. "No. They weren't the cold sweats. He got a fever."

She stood up and was about to go to the bathroom when Chrno's hand suddenly shot forth and gently grabbed her wrist, pulling her back, and placing her on his lap, wrapping both arms around her protectively. Rose blushed from the close contact and looked up at Chrno's face, her expression filled with uncertainty. "Chrno...?"

"I'll always protect you, Rose. It's not because I'm over protective, but because I love-"

Stella stormed into the vehicle so suddenly that it cut off Chrno's words causing him to wake up abruptly while scaring the living daylights out of Azmaria, her having dived into the front seats and peeking over them towards the cause of the sudden intrusion, and Rose just merely turned her attention towards the interruption, slightly thankful that she had come so suddenly.

"I've got the ship ready," Stella said before she noticed the position Chrno and Rose were in causing her to raise an eyebrow.

Rose turned several shades of red and quickly pushed Chrno away from her only causing them both to fall off the chair, Chrno's back to the floor with Rose laying strewn across his body.

Stella grinned widely, trying to prevent herself from laughing at the predicament the young nun her gotten herself into.

Chrno blushed as he sat up, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, Rosette." He laughed nervously.

Rose gave him a glare before finally standing up, straightening her clothes. "Well, that's that. Anyways..." She turned her attention to Stella, crossing her arms. "You were saying?"

Azmaria climbed over the seats once more, watching Stella, Rose, and Chrno, after calming her heart down and slowing her breathing.

"I've got everything prepared for our leave. Our ship takes off in twenty minutes so I suggest we get moving that way we can get to our rooms. I hope you bought the stuff needed while I was gone," Stella explained.

"We do. Don't worry," Rose said, grinning.

* * *

Emerald's eyes lit up as a small yellow dot flashed upon her computer screen indicating the Apostle of Prudence's location. She quickly stood up from her computer chair then ran into her lord's office, Fiore, a very bloody Joshua, and Aion turning their attention to the young cat demon.

Joshua licked the blood from his hands, his horns-Chrno's horns-upon his head before asking, "What is it, Emerald?"

"I take it you've killed the fake," Emerald said before responding, "How would you guys like to go upon a cruise?"

* * *

Is it just me or do I seem to write really long chapters then write at least two more short ones before writing another long one again? x.x Lol. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed it. n.n The questions are: Just who _is_ the Apostle of Prudence? What do Aion and the others have in store for our heroes while upon their cruise? Just how did Azmaria and Rose use their powers like that? All these and more revealed in the next chapters to come! And please don't forget to review on your way out. Thank you in advance.


	15. Eclipse of the Moon

Sorry about the super long wait, everyone. Had major writer's block and way too much homework. x.x But the chappie's really long. Well, kinda. Anyways, hope all of you enjoy.

dark-sorceress-sakura: Glad you're lovin' it. n.n

Sakura Blossom-Cilla-85: x.x Errrrrr… She's not gonna die. I promise. As for Joshua… Just keep on reading the on-going chapters. Well, umm… Aion was able to pull his horns and Chrno's horns out in the show, so… I'm planning on revealing the Apostle of Prudence in the next chapter and, ummm… Yeah.

Lachwen: I'm glad you're enjoying it. And I'll try updating as much as possible, but it _is_ kinda hard to.

Mika Sorano: Glad you think so. n.n

Chobit 00: Glad you loved it and thank you. n.n I wish you and everyone the best as well.

Rythmic Breathing: Lol. I've been trying to update. But it's not dat easy when you're frequently busy or having writer's block.

evilanimeblond22: I'll try. n.n

YumeTakato: I'll try to as often as possible.

* * *

**Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning**

**By:**

**Guardian Angel of Innocence**

**Chapter Fifteen: Eclipse of the Moon**

Rose stood upon the upper deck of the ship, looking over its railing at the wide expansion of the ocean around the ship. She smiled as she watched three dolphins jump out from the water then land back in it, repeating the same process all over again. A few seagulls flew by, letting out cries as they flew up higher into the clear blue sky.

"How's he doing?" Stella asked suddenly as she came up beside Rose, also admiring the scenery.

"He's in bed right now sleeping," Rose said then turned to face the jewel summoner, raising an eyebrow when she saw the new outfit she was wearing.

Stella wore a tight aqua green dress that clung to every curve of her body quite nicely. The dress had a low v-neck, but not low enough to reveal anything that shouldn't be seen. On top of her head was a hat that matched the dress with a dark green ribbon going around the top of the hat then being tied off into a bow. Upon her feet were aqua green heels.

Stella nodded. "I see." There was a short moment of silence before she chose to speak again. "You should go get changed. That outfit doesn't suit you while we're on here."

Rose gave her a look, but nodded, leaving the railing and heading to the dorms.

* * *

Azmaria was sitting in the library reading a book on the past of the Sinners, most of it being summarized by Chrno when the book had been written. She closed her eyes as she imagined the events that had taken place when Aion had taken Pandemonia's head. She heard someone pulling up a seat beside her and opened her eyes to see who it was. 

A young girl sat down, a large old book within her hands. Her eyes were green while her hair was short and pink, slightly curling at the ends. Her skin was deeply tanned and it almost appeared as though the girl frequently got sunburned causing Azmaria to come to the conclusion that the girl loved doing anything that was outside. Her ears were oddly pointed at their ends causing Azmaria to wonder whether the girl was a demon or not. She appeared to be the age of eight, her height showing it very well. Her outfit consisted of small white artist hat, white coat that buttoned up then tied much like a robe, a beige button up t-shirt, a beige skirt, white tights, and brown cowboy boots that went a little above her ankles. Upon her wrists were a pair of silver bracelets on each one decorated with exquisite diamonds and sapphires.

"You don't mind if I sit here, do ya?" the girl asked sweetly, smiling.

Azmaria shook her head. "No. Not at all." She smiled.

"I'm Mariah," the girl said, holding out her hand.

"Azmaria," Az said, shaking the girl's hand.

A glint lit Mariah's eyes.

* * *

Rose turned the knob of the door to her room, slowly opening it so as not to wake the person within it. Once inside, she gently shut the door then went over to the closet, looking through the outfits that would be appropriate to wear. _There's going to be a ball while we're eating isn't there? There always is in these types of ships._ A frown found its way across her face as her mind went into thought about the dancing and music that would be occurring around her. She shook her head and grabbed out a dress. "Then you'll have to do because I'm definitely not wearing one of those big poofy gowns." She looked towards the boy-demon-Chrno-on the bed, his eyes shut while his breathing came out evenly, only a few coughs coming out here and there as well as some blood with it. 

Rose smiled at the peaceful expression upon her partner's face then went into the bathroom to change into the dress not trusting Chrno to stay asleep while she changed. After a few minutes, she finally came out and admired herself in the large mirror, twirling around a few times causing the dress to slightly fly up as though it were a dress fit for one who did ballet.

The dress was made from silk and clung nicely to her body being very loose towards the bottom. It was strapless and dark blue, reaching a little below her knees. A ruby heart brooch was pinned to it in the upper left part of the dress, diamonds outlining it. She wore long white silken gloves that reached her elbows and dark blue heels. Her hair was pulled back in a semi-ponytail being tied with a dark blue ribbon. The only make-up she wore was red lipstick.

"That looks very nice on you," a voice said, suddenly interrupting Rose from her thoughts.

Rose quickly spun around, grabbing out her gun from one of the holsters strapped to her thighs out of habit and pointed it at the one who had spoken.

The one who had spoken was none other than Chrno who had placed his clawed hands up as though he were being arrested by cops.

Rose let out a sigh of relief, putting the gun away. She then blushed out of embarrassment from being so paranoid and from something more, the deep feelings she felt for the demon…

"Rose, I don't think I should go down there looking like this," Chrno said as though sensing the sudden awkwardness.

Rose placed her hands on her hips. "And why not?! Look, I don't care what everyone else thinks about demons, but their views about it are nothing about you because you're not the stereotypical kind!" She went up to him, determination written across her face. "If they try to even harm you or anything, they'll have to get pass me because I won't allow them to. I don't care if they start treating me badly because of that. No one deserves to be treated badly just because those people hold something against that person's overall race based on what the majority thought instead of the minority! It's plain prejudice and it's stupid!"

Chrno was taken aback by this slightly, though, he really shouldn't have been all that surprise considering she had never feared him whenever it came to their first meetings whether it was when she was Mary Magdalene and being kidnapped by him or when she was Rosette Christopher stumbling upon a tomb with her brother and finding him next to a coffin. He smiled and nodded. "Very well then, but what do you suggest I wear?"

Rose smiled. "An outfit I bought for you, of course!"

* * *

Stella looked up at the night, cloudy, sky, the stars' light hardly making it through while the moon's rays showed through slits of clouds, almost creating a holy-like atmosphere where the rays touched, one of the places being upon the ship. She closed her eyes, breathing in the harsh, cold air before opening her eyes and turning around to walk down the deck. 

"Excuse me, but do you perhaps know where the ballroom is?" a lady asked her.

Stella looked up from the wooden floor and at the woman.

The girl had long flowing orange hair that reached her waist and yellow green eyes. She was strikingly tall, her figure being very thin but not so much to give people the impression she was a stick. Her ears were also pointed at the ends while her lips were covered in red lipstick. Her outfit compromised of a tight black short sleeved dress with a slit on the right side of it that reached a little above her ankles, a black rose attached to the dress in the upper left portion, and black heels. She appeared to be at least eighteen or nineteen.

"You might as well follow me," Stella said. "I have to go there to meet with some of my… Comrades anyway." She began going upon her path once more, the young woman following. "I'm Stella, by the way."

"I go by the name of Ruby," the woman replied then looked up at the cloud-covered full moon, a grin spreading across her lips.

* * *

Rose smiled as she finally got the full suit upon Chrno's body, him and her both having had trouble putting the shirt and coat on him. After a bunch of blushes and nervous laughs as well as cries of frustration, they both had finally gotten him ready for dinner. She took a step back to admire the purple haired demon's outfit. 

The outfit was a tuxedo, the coat being a light shade of brown as well as the pants, his long sleeve shirt being white. His tie was also black while his dress shoes were black.

Rose's smile widened as she dragged her partner over to the mirror so he could see how fabulous he looked for himself.

Chrno sweatdropped. "I look like I'm a business man in the Wild West."

"Well, if you got black, it would clash with my outfit. I think dark colors should have their partners be light. Since I'm wearing dark blue you should wear light brown," Rose explained.

Chrno frowned. "Rose, you always wear blue and I normally always wear red."

"If I got you red, you would look like some bloody guy and that would just make things worse than they already are!" Rose cried, pouting since she preferred her choice of clothing to what Chrno was suggesting.

Chrno sighed in defeat, shaking his head. "You're so stubborn, Rose."

Rose smirked slightly then grabbed one of his clawed hands. "Come on! We're going to be late and Stella's going to kill me if we embarrass her!" She opened the door with her free hand and winced as a sharp pain went through her whole arm causing her to quickly recoil her hand from the knob.

Chrno instantly became concerned. "Rose, what is it?"

Rose held her arm, looking down at her wrist, which happened to be the source of the pain. Her eyes widened when she saw a cross mark etched into her wrist, blood coming out from it. _Oh, no…_ She was about to take her other hand away from Chrno's knowing that her other wrist would most likely hold the cross mark and would also be bleeding; she didn't want Chrno to know nor anyone else knowing the conclusion they would come to, but she was too late. Chrno had already spotted it.

His eyes widened when he saw the blood going down Rose's left wrist and widened even more at the sight of the cross scar. "Stigmata…?!"

Rose looked at Chrno, tears filling her eyes, then looked away. "I'm sorry… Chrno."

Chrno closed his eyes as memories of the past three incarnations having those same marks ran through his head. He opened them afterwards and dragged her into the bathroom before she could protest. "The others mustn't know."

"I know…" Rose said, quietly. "But how do you expect to hide the bandages?" She glared at the blood stained gloves she was wearing. "Blood either doesn't come off at all or is very hard to get rid of."

"I'm sure you bought an extra pair and, if not, I have my own you could borrow," Chrno said then blushed. "It was a gift for later on, but this is more important so…" He shrugged as he opened the medicine cabinet, grabbing out a roll of medical tape and some gauze.

Rose blushed as well, slowly nodding. "I… See."

Chrno placed the gauze over the cross marks, trying his best not to touch the blood knowing the effect it would have upon him then grabbed the tape, rolling it over the gauze until it was secured then ripping the tape off at the end with his claws. He stood up then went back into the room, Rose following. He then opened up the dresser's drawer next to his bed, grabbing out a small box. He opened it up revealing white silken gloves, handing them to Rose.

Rose took the gloves looking at them in awe. "Chrno… These must have been really expensive!" Her face filled slightly with panic. "I could never accept such a-"

"I told you, Rosette, it's a gift," Chrno said, smiling. He went over to her, wrapping one hand over her wrist. "It was my mother's… And I want you to have it."

Rose's eyes widened. "Your… Mother's?"

Chrno nodded. "Yes." He blushed as he turned his back to her, fidgeting slightly. "I would have given them to you sooner, but I…" He turned a deeper shade of red.

Rose watched him puzzled by his sudden nervousness, going up to him so that she could see his tomato red face. "Why are you… Blushing?"

Chrno let out a breath, trying to keep his face from going any redder if at all possible. "Mother told me a long time ago, before I had joined Aion, to give these gloves to the woman I would… That would be my… Ummm…"

Rose's face suddenly turned to several shades of red as she finally caught onto what Chrno meant. "That you would marry?! Your wife?! Your…" She turned even redder if at all possible. "Mate?!?!?!"

Chrno smiled sheepishly, his face still very red, as he nodded. "Yes, my… Mate."

Rose's eyes widened.

"Am I… Interrupting something?" a small voice suddenly asked.

Rose and Chrno both turned to face the person who had spoken to see Azmaria and Mariah.

Rose instantly mentally thanked the young Apostle for interrupting her and Chrno, going over to her while hoping her blush had finally left her face. "Not at all, Az." She looked at the other girl before turning her attention back to Azmaria. "What is it that you need?"

"My dress," Azmaria said, slightly sweatdropping. "It's almost dinner time."

"Ah! Right!" Rose said. "Well, your dress should be in the closet. We'll be waiting here for you until you're ready." She smiled.

Azmaria nodded, smiling. "Okay! And this is Mariah, by the way." She ushered towards the young girl standing next to her before running into the closet in search of her clothing then running into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mariah. I'm Rose and this is my friend, Chrno," Rose said then spotted the girl's pointed ears. She smiled. "He's a demon just like you."

"You know I'm a…?" the girl asked, not finishing her sentence.

Rose nodded. "Your ears aren't normal. Any nonobservant person wouldn't notice it or those who are untrained in the art of demons, however, I'm a Sister from the Magdalan Order so, of course, I would instantly recognize that. However, even if I wasn't, I would still be able to since my friend's a demon."

Mariah nodded in understanding.

* * *

Stella watched her watch through narrowed eyes, Ruby standing beside her with her arms crossed. The two were within the luxurious dining ballroom. The high domed ceilings were decorated with celestial beings and crystal chandeliers while the tiled floor was covered in a few places by crimson rugs with gold trimming around them. The people were dressed magnificently, holding crystal goblets full of champagne while chatting merrily with their fellow companions. The music playing in the background was of the classical type such as Frank Sinatra and Mozart, people dancing elegantly to the songs. 

"They're late," Stella said through gritted teeth. The people at their table were waiting for her and her counterparts and, though they didn't appear it, she knew full heartedly well that they were becoming just as impatient as she was.

"Perhaps they are merely busy," Ruby said, tapping her foot upon the ground out of irritation.

"Busy? With exactly what?" Stella asked. "Rose is just doing this to annoy me." She sighed and shook her head.

"Perhaps it is best that you two ladies take your seats. I'm sure those three will join us shortly," a voice said, the two young women turning to face the owner of the voice.

A young man stood in front of them appearing to in his early twenties. Long white hair cascaded down his head ending a little below his shoulders, his white bangs slightly covering his violet eyes that were watching the two intently, a smile plastered upon his face. His clothing was all white, it being a tuxedo while clear spectacles covered his eyes and black dress shoes covered his feet.

_He looks oddly familiar,_ Stella thought, eyeing the man suspiciously.

"Ah. Charles," Ruby said, her gaze lowering to the ground. "I do not believe we should have to wait for those three."

Charles went up to her, placing a hand underneath her chin and gently tilting it up so she was gazing into his eyes. "But we must. Patience is one of the heavenly virtues, my dear Ruby. And we must have patience or all may fall to failure just as all great ancient cities have."

Stella watched the two feeling nostalgic as faint blurry memories ran through her mind. She shook her head and was about to say something when a voice suddenly broke her train of thought.

"We're here! Sorry we're late, Stella!" Rose cried, running down the stairs while trying not to trip, Azmaria, Mariah, and Chrno close behind.

Stella's eyebrow twitched slightly as the people around her glanced at the blonde haired nun then at her as though trying to figure out just how the two knew the other. She went up to Rose when she finally reached the end of the stairs. She was about to yell at Rose for being late and not having a good reason for the cause most likely when she spotted the dress Azmaria was wearing, wondering how much the outfits that Chrno, Rose, and Azmaria were wearing cost.

Azmaria's dress was a light golden yellow, had spaghetti straps, and reached a little below her knees. She wore matching low heels and carried a matching purse that had a small light yellow flower attached to it near the zipper. Her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail, tied with a matching bow, a few strands of hair being left to hang in the front. A topaz flower brooch hung in the center of her chest, her lips covered in baby yellow lipstick.

Stella's eyes narrowed in suspicion as Rose began to walk away towards their table, Chrno and Azmaria following after. "Rose!" She went up to the young nun, grabbing her by the shoulder then spinning her around so that she looked into her glaring eyes. "Just exactly how did you pay for all that clothes?"

"Well… You see…"

* * *

Chrno sat down at the table, Azmaria sitting down beside him. 

"It's so pretty," Azmaria said, stars in her eyes.

"Yeah. Sure is," Mariah said, having sat down next to Azmaria. She placed her hands behind her head as Ruby and Charles took their seats across from them.

"So… I hear that there's yet another Apostle Aion and his group are missing," Ruby said, leaning forward slightly, trying to catch Chrno's attention.

Chrno looked at Ruby, a puzzled expression upon his face. "Yes. There is. Just how might you know?"

"My boy, we work for the Order of Venice. Surely we would know such important matters. We're returning there now to discuss with the council on how to handle this," Charles replied, calmly.

Azmaria remained silent, sensing that something didn't seem quite right with this sudden situation. "Why were you here to begin with and not within your Order?"

"We are representatives of Venice and had to hold a meeting with the Magdalan Order. It seems that the humans are beginning to show themselves once more and as such, we must be ready to end this war. The sooner, the better. We can't have any innocent lives lost due to a demon's selfish ambitions," Ruby said.

Azmaria nodded in understanding.

* * *

"You what?!" Stella cried, clearly enraged by the news she had received. "What made you think you could use my credit card to buy your way through?!" 

"Unlike you, not everyone in this world is totally rich!" Rose defended.

Stella just settled for giving her a glare before joining the others at the table, Rose doing the same.

Rose took her seat beside Chrno, Stella sitting beside her.

Chrno looked towards Rose, sweatdropping when he saw the two girls were clearly arguing over something once again. He sighed and shook his head before looking back at Charles. His eyes narrowed in suspicion since the white haired man looked highly familiar except he was positive he had never seen the man in his whole entire life. So, why did Charles appear to be so familiar?

"Do you have any idea who the other Apostle may be?" Azmaria asked, softly.

"No, but…" Ruby chuckled quietly then leaned forward slightly. "Let's just say that my woman intuition says we'll be meeting this Apostle soon enough."

Stella raised an eyebrow, but stayed silent.

"May I have this dance, Ma'am?" a blonde haired man asked, offering his hand.

Stella turned to face the man. She stayed silent for a moment before giving her hand to him. "Yes, you may." She removed her hat, setting it on the table, then joined the man upon the dance floor.

Rose felt a strong sense of nostalgic, suddenly being reminded of the night at the carnival. She shook her head trying to rid her mind of the thought.

"Wow. Miss Stella looks wonderful," Azmaria said, stars in her eyes.

Rose frowned and looked at the red haired jewel summoner and her partner, her eyebrow beginning to twitch.

Ruby watched the pair then turned her attention to Charles. "Shall we?"

"Of course," Charles said, grinning. He stood up and took Ruby's hand, leading her to the dance floor where they began dancing.

Rose stood up. "I'm going back to the upper deck to get some air. This room just doesn't suit me and I'd just be embarrassing Stella again." She smiled weakly before heading towards the stairs.

"Rosette…" Chrno said quietly.

"Ah! I'll go with-"

Mariah held a restraining hand upon Azmaria's shoulder, shaking her head. "Let them be by themselves for a while. Something tells me they should enjoy themselves while they still can."

Azmaria looked at Mariah and slowly nodded. "Okay…"

* * *

Rose looked over the railing at the deep ebony sea below her. She closed her eyes as she breathed in the ice-cold air; ignoring the chills it sent her body. The cool breeze slightly blew by causing some strands of hair to fly in front of her face much to her annoyance. She frowned and opened her eyes, pulling the flying strands back behind her ears. She then let out a long sigh. 

"Rosette, what's wrong?" a voice asked.

Rose gave the owner of the voice a questioning look until she saw that it was only Chrno who stood next to her. She turned her attention towards the horizon ahead of her. "To tell you the truth, I have no idea. But…" She placed a hand over her watch, turning her attention back to the purple haired demon that had been watching the horizon as well but was now watching her, his eyes full of concern. "I have this unnerving feeling something bad is going to happen…"

* * *

Mariah frowned as she watched the two couples continue dancing. She let out a sigh and shook her head. A wide grin then spread across her face as a sudden idea sprang into her mind. She turned to face the Apostle of Charity giddily. "Az! Let's go explore and stuff! I know this really cool place where we can hang out on!" 

Azmaria gave the young girl a puzzled expression. "But wouldn't it better if we stayed here? Rosette and the others may become worried."

"Az! Who cares about them! Besides, I'm sure they do realize we're just on a ship. I mean, what can possibly go wrong?" Mariah said.

"Well… Have you seen Titanic?" Azmaria asked, quietly.

Mariah frowned then rolled her eyes. "That's beyond the point and chances of this ship hitting an iceberg is slim to none." She grabbed the violet haired girl's hand before she could protest any further then began heading in the direction of the stairs. "Seriously, Az, you worry way too much for your own good."

* * *

The man twirled Stella around then caught her in his arms. Stella simply smiled as many people around them watched in awe. However, Stella's smile instantly vanished to be replaced by an expression full of suspicion and curiosity when she saw Mariah leading Azmaria away from the dining room. Normally, Stella would have just assumed they were heading back to their dorms having become tired from the night's events, but, by the sights of their faces, she knew neither of them were tired and it appeared more like Azmaria was trying to persuade the other girl into not leaving the room. She came to a halt in midway turning then got out of the man's hold. 

"I'm sorry to end this dance so early, but other things call for attention," Stella said then turned to walk towards the stairs.

Charles and Ruby danced in Stella's way, both smiling widely as they came to a halt.

"Why ever did you stop dancing?" Ruby asked. "I'm sure your partner feels guilty. I bet you he believes he did something wrong."

"I have more important matters at hand," Stella said, quickly, as she watched Azmaria and Mariah go up the stairs.

"And what matters would those be?" Charles asked, calmly.

Stella watched him through narrowed eyes, her suspicions seeming to grow in length. "Matters that are strictly none of your business." With that said, she walked pass the two before they could pull her asunder again then continued on her way.

* * *

Chrno's brows furrowed as he thought over what Rose had said. "Bad?" 

Rose nodded then looked up at the sky, her eyes suddenly widening. "I didn't know there was an eclipse tonight."

Chrno looked in the direction of her gaze to see the moon slowly begin to darken. It was then that his illness decided to act up once more. He winced and fell to his knees as an enormous pain suddenly clutched his whole body.

Rose looked down at her demon partner anxiously, quickly running to his side. Her expression was full of concern and her heart was pounding with fear. "Chrno!"

Chrno continued to wince, placing one clawed hand over his heart where he clinched the fabric of the clothing tightly creating small holes in it. Sweat began to pour down his face as a shiver passed down his spine.

Rose took his free hand in both her hands as she could only watch with horror. "Chrno…" Tears filled her eyes but she ignored them, standing up as she tried to urge for Chrno to do the same. "Chrno, we can't stay out here with you acting like this!"

Chrno knew she was right, but he couldn't move. If he even tried to stand, his legs would slip out from beneath him as though they were made of jelly. The pain only seemed to intensify as Rose tried with all her might to get him up. The world around him began to spin uncontrollably. He groaned and leaned against Rose as best as he could without creating an unbalance, which would cause them both to fall to the ground.

Rose's expression changed to one of determination as she took Chrno's arm and placed it around her shoulders then used her arm to support him while using her free hand to hold Chrno's free hand. She knew she would have to keep the pace slow for Chrno's sake and she would despite the urge she felt to quickly run to the room they both shared.

* * *

Mariah began running, dragging Azmaria with her. 

Azmaria reluctantly followed, though, she didn't have much of a choice due to the fact Mariah was still holding her by the hand. She looked around at the doors they passed and watched as Mariah quickly slammed open a door that led downstairs to a lower part of the ship. She tried to keep up with the young girl, but each step taken threatened to trip her. Her breath began to come out in pants as sweat began to go down her face. "Ma… Ri… Ah… Why… Are… We… Running?"

"More running! Questions later!" Mariah said, not bothering to slow down and only seemed to quicken her speed.

Azmaria looked behind shoulder, trying to see exactly what they were running away from. To her dismay, she saw nothing behind them. She turned her attention back ahead, trying to get Mariah's attention once more.

* * *

Stella ran down the hall and came to a halt when she spotted a man. She asked him if he had seen two girls running by, describing them to him. He simply answered her by nodding and pointed a finger down the hall, telling her that they had gone to the stairs that lead to the engine room. He told her he hadn't a clue as to why they would go there. She simply nodded and gave him her thanks, running once again in the direction of the two young girls.

* * *

Rose walked down the hall when she spotted Stella turn a corner, going down the stairs after she opened the door that lead to them. She raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled by this. She just shook her head and began walking again when she spotted the same man Stella had spoken to earlier. "Hey. Do you know where that lady's going?" 

"She's running after these two girls that had ran by earlier," the man explained. "One had long violet hair and red eyes. She was about almost to your shoulder in height. The other-"

Rose didn't need any further explaining, immediately catching on to what girls he meant. "Thanks!" She began walking once more before the man could continue.

"Something's… Wrong, Rosette," Chrno said, panting. "Why would… Azmaria… And Stella… And…."

"…You're right," Rose said, thinking the events over in her mind. _Chrno becoming sick all of the sudden… Azmaria running off with that other girl… Stella chasing after them… The Order of Venice being here… It's all too much to be a coincidence. _

* * *

Mariah slammed open the large iron door in front of her and Azmaria as they finally came to the end of the stairs. She then led the young Apostle through the engine room, the heat within it causing the two girls to sweat even more than they already were. 

Azmaria felt as though she were going to kill over any second now. Her heart was beating frantically, her legs numbed, and her breathing was coming in fast pants. "Ma-ri-ah-I-can't-run-anymore."

"You're a strong girl. Besides, we're almost there," Mariah said with a large grin before she slammed yet another door open, going into the luggage room. It was here that she immediately hid underneath the stairs that lead up to a higher room, dragging Azmaria along with her. The two kneeled down and stayed silent and motionless.

Stella entered the room and Azmaria was about to call out her name, but Mariah placed her hand over her mouth, shaking her head.

"Az, trust me, you _don't_ want to do that," Mariah said, a glint illuminating her eyes.

Azmaria suddenly shook from fear. She was no longer confused or tired; she was in shock and horror at the thoughts that came to her mind of her fate.

Stella slowly walked around the room, seeming to check under and over anything that came in sight. She had a sneaking suspicion about the demon girl and they were only growing in length.

Mariah peeked slightly over the boxes that obscured her and Azmaria for the time being, but she knew Stella would eventually come looking in their particular area. She turned her attention to Azmaria and whispered, "Now follow me. As long as you do as I say, no one will be harmed." She ushered towards Stella before turning around and crawling on all hands and knees towards the beginning of the staircase.

Azmaria looked towards Stella through a gap between the boxes before reluctantly following Mariah.

* * *

Rose opened the door to Chrno's room then gently sat him down on the bed. She took a few steps back, her expression etching with concern. "Chrno, I-" 

"I'll… Be fine," Chrno said, giving her a weak smile. "You… Had better go now… It may be too late…. If you don't…"

Rose nodded, her features changing to one of determination, though, her eyes still held concern for the purple haired demon.

"Go," Chrno said and pointed a finger at the door.

Rose nodded once more and ran out of the room, heading back towards the hall she had seen Stella.

* * *

Stella growled out of frustration as she looked around the luggage room. She did come across the hiding place of Azmaria and Mariah, but she only found, much to her disappointment, no one. She let out a sigh of exasperation until she caught a glimpse of the door above the stairs. Her eyes narrowed even more so when she saw Mariah and Azmaria crawling on their hands and knees toward it. She watched as Mariah slowly stood up and reached out a hand towards the knob. Stella smirked slightly then held out her hand, the green jewel beginning to glow. "Laden!" The green knight suddenly appeared as she had the knight swing its blade in front of the young demon. 

"Dammit!" Mariah cursed and glared daggers at the jewel summoner.

"Azmaria!" Stella cried, ignoring the demon.

Before Azmaria could run down to the red haired young woman, Mariah gave her a glare. "Remember, dear Az, if you don't do as I say, someone may get hurt. And by that, I don't mean myself."

Azmaria hung her head in defeat, tears threatening to release themselves.

* * *

Chrno inched back slightly until his back was against the wall. He let out a breath as he felt his body begin to relax slightly so that the pain was no longer as excruciating as it had been earlier. He looked out the small window, hoping that Rose, Stella, and Azmaria were all right. It was then that he heard the steel door give way causing him to quickly get up and get into a defensive stance. He felt his muscles tense as his body began to hurt once more. But the pain isn't what made his eyes widen suddenly…

* * *

Rose ran down the hall and down the stairs, grabbing out one of her strapped guns. She growled as she tripped a few times causing her to gain a few bruises here and there. Truthfully, she was surprised she hadn't broken or sprained anything yet. Once she had reached the bottom of the stairs and tripped yet again, she took her heels off and threw them to the side. 

"Whoever made high heels in the first place should die," Rose mumbled as she carefully walked through the engine room. She went over to one of the men and asked if he had seen two girls and a young woman run through. She quickly nodded to his response when she found it to be a yes then began running once more.

* * *

Mariah frowned as she looked at the large knight then looked at Stella. "Are you seriously going to use that thing in here? You might as well sink the ship while you're at it. This ship can hold a lot of weight, but…" She pointed her finger to the ceiling. "There's not much space up there for something gigantic. And the room's no better considering one horizontal swing of that blade could cut the whole room in half, thus, allowing the water in." 

"That maybe so, but I'm not going to allow you to get away," Stella said.

Mariah shrugged. "Your loss." She reached into her pocket, grabbing out a gun. "I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to fight you then. I can't go against the orders of Lord Aion, now can I?"

"Aion?!" Stella cried. Her eyes narrowed. "Reveal yourself!"

"Very well then," Mariah said then sighed. "It seems I've blown my cover. I hope Lord Aion forgives me." She reached into her other pocket, grabbing out a small device. She pressed the button, suddenly becoming slightly taller, her body features changing as well.

Azmaria let out a gasp and took a step back.

Stella's eyes widened then narrowed once more. "You!"

A grin spread across the demon's face. "That's right. It's me. Emerald."

"Well, Emerald, it's time you said your prayers," a new voice said.

The three girls turned their attention towards a few crates to see Rose standing on them with her gun aimed at Emerald.

"Rose!" Azmaria and Stella both cried out in unison.

Rose smirked slightly before releasing the gospel bullet.

Emerald's eyes widened as she desperately made a run for the door, trying to get pass the large blade. However, none of it worked and the bullet soon rid of her…

* * *

Two figures stood at the doorway, their true forms being revealed. 

"Chrno, give up while you still can. You and I both know you haven't the strength to fight back," the first figure said.

Chrno growled. "Aion…!"

Aion sighed. "As usual, you are being difficult. Very well then. Arachnia, you know what to do."

Arachnia nodded, taking a step forward as a smirk made itself known. "Such a shame that I have to do it this way, but orders are orders, Chrno." She held out her hand, web forming within her hand.

* * *

And, while all this was occurring, the sky became pitch black except for the luminous stars….

* * *

Once again, hoped you enjoyed it. And sorry 'bout the cliffhanger. I'll try to put up the next chapter way sooner. And dun forget to review on your way out. Ja! 


	16. An Old Friend Turned Bad?

Okay… I know I haven't updated in ages but here's one finally. Lol. Umm… Writer's block and compy dying prevented me from putting this up sooner. Also, I did this chappy from complete scratch due to the latter so I'm not so sure if it's better. But it's done now so… It has also come to my attention that authors are no longer allowed to respond to their reviewers in their chapters. I don't know whether this is true or not because I looked though the terms of agreement or w/e and I didn't see a thing about that in there. Ah, well. If I'm disobeying the rules, I deeply apologize and I shall never do so ever again after this.

YumeTakato: Update is here! Yay!  
Sakura Blossom-Cilla-85: Hai! I agree! Evil Aion!  
Sean: Yeah. I know. Thankfully, I have the six volumes of the manga now. I need the rest, though… Anyway, glad you like it. nn  
DoneofLight: Glad you love it. n.n And, umm… I don't think I should join with as much as I update. Lol.  
xXChocaholicXx: Eh? You got confused? What was confusing? (note to self: check over confusing chappy and think of a way to make it less confusing for future reference and/or edit chappy) Anyhow, glad you like it. n.n  
Chrnoskitty: Umm… I'll try. n.n'' But I'm glad you like it so much. o.o''  
Evilanimeblonde22: Aaaahhhh! I love Christmas! nn But I updated this too late to say the same to you. Noooooo! Gomen ne. ;.; I'll try to work to the best of my abilities.  
Nanaki Red XIII: Umm… If you get this far then… Hi! And glad you like it.  
Fang Girl 2: Umm… You must read this chapter and future chappies to know! (Yes, is evil) I'll try to update as much as possible. Though… Only having one computer makes this task difficult because I have to share it with my brother. (sighs)  
Katana Blade: Wow. o.o Glad you love it. n.n I'll read your fic as soon as I get the chance. n.n  
Lady-water-dragon: Glad you liked it. nn Hai. Me, too. (Prays for her poor Chrno;  
Rose comes out of no where and clobbers her)  
Rose: You're the one writing it! You should know wha-(silences her)  
Anyway, onto the others…  
JasmineScent85: Glad you love it. nn Umm… It just comes to me really… Not that good at times, though. Sometimes my thoughts get all scattered and stuff so yeah. And I'll try to get more Rosette and Chrno fluff in. n.n I won't quit! Lol. I've made a vow to not abandon my works. So, umm… Yeah. Might get writer's block but when it clears up, I shall continue it.  
letsmakesomemagic: Glad you liked it. n.n  
Pu: Yeah… I know… Stupid writer's block… And compy dying… I want a lappy for my b-day. It's next month. (sweatdrop) That has nothing to do with this. Lol. Anyway, glad you love it. n.n  
The True Queen Of Hell: Okay. Okay. It's done. O.O''' Lol.  
teddy911: Okay. Will do, mon capitan. (salutes)

* * *

**Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning**

**By: **

**Guardian Angel Of Innocence**

**Chapter Sixteen: An Old Friend Turned Bad?**

Rose, Stella, and Azmaria climbed up the set of stairs after Stella had her knight vanish. Rose examined it closely, wondering what contents were hidden behind it. Stella appeared to be quite bored. Azmaria looked at the door anxiously. Rose reached her hand out over the knob, preparing to turn it. Stella placed a hand over her jewel just in case while Azmaria stood her ground. With one swift motion, Rose turned the knob and kicked the door open. She entered the room with her gun pointed at whatever dared to threaten her and her friends. To her surprise and slight relief, there was nothing within the room except a few crates here and there.

Stella frowned. "She was taking Azmaria to a deserted room?"

"Apparently yes," Rose said, suddenly sounding disappointed. Without warning, she gasped and placed a hand over her watch. She fell to her knees and winced.

"Rose!" Stella and Azmaria cried, running to her side.

"I'm-I'm fine," Rose said, straining to place a smile upon her lips. Her obvious lie didn't stop either girl from worrying over her well-being.

Stella walked away from her and gazed out the small window within the left wall. The ocean's water was extremely close to this window which made it obvious as to why the window had no way of being opened. However, Stella found it incredibly stupid to have a window in this location. What if the ship accidentally ran into an iceberg? Yes, the ship would be badly scraped afterwards, but the window would either have been cracked or broken altogether! She shook these thoughts out of her head. The matter at hand was far more important than her criticizing on the ship's poor construction.

Azmaria slowly walked towards the front wall and examined it. For some reason, she felt the wall, or perhaps what lied within or behind it, was calling to her. She could faintly make out an outline of a golden cross. Becoming curious, she placed a hand within the center of the cross. Golden light illuminated from underneath her palm.

Rose and Stella turned their attention away from their distractions, turning all their concentration upon Azmaria and the light.

Azmaria gasped and hesitantly took a step back as the light turned into a dark aura. Before allowing her to get out of its grasp, the aura lunged forward and encircled her arm like an octopus's tentacle. The jewel summoner and nun ran forward, trying their best to free the young Apostle from the darkness. Much to their dismay, the darkness split from its main source and held the two girls in captivity as well. The darkness began pulling the group towards the wall. The girls cried out and continued to fight for freedom. Before they knew it, all three had gone through the dark substance…

* * *

"Emerald's gone," Arachnia said with evident irritation.

"And so she is," Aion said, taking a sip of wine from his golden jewel encrusted goblet.

He and Arachnia were within an almost bare room. The only thing that showed signs of being occupied was the desk Aion was sitting on and the numerous items displayed upon it ranging from pictures of family to papers and pens. The walls were bare for the most part save a small safety doughnut ring hanging from the wall with crimson words inscribed into it saying S.S. Neptune IV.

Aion turned his attention to Chrno. The purple haired demon was hung to the opposite side of the wall with the ring. Arachnia had spun her webbing in order to stick him to it and he was already weakened by the poison within his body. "The time is soon…"

Chrno gave him a seething glare. "What are you planning, Aion!"

"You know well what it is I plan, Chrno." Aion grinned.

Chrno continued to glare at him but said no more.

"The time is now," Aion said as though the whole scenario between himself and Chrno had never occurred. Just as he had said his final word, the floor in front of the opposite wall of Chrno began glowing with dark energy. A dark circle formed in front of the wall and almost appeared to be much like dark liquid…

Just as suddenly as the energy had appeared, three figures appeared within a large mass of darkness. Just as the darkness left the figures, they all seemed to tumble over as though tripping over an unseen object.

Chrno's eyes widened as he immediately recognized them.

The blonde haired girl groaned as she got to her feet, rubbing her nose from landing face first into the ground. She growled and glared at the red haired girl. "This is all your fault!"

"My fault!" the red haired figure objected, getting to her feet as well. "How is it my fault!"

The lavender haired girl sat up and sweatdropped as she watched the two older women argue.

"Ro… Sette…!" Chrno weakly called out. He was a bit surprised at how he had suddenly become weak again when he wasn't so weak when yelling at Aion.

Rose didn't pay Stella anymore heed as soon as she had heard her beloved Chrno's voice. She took note of the webbing and glared at Aion.

Stella glared at Rose when she saw she was obviously ignoring her. Wanting to know what was so fascinating, she followed Rose's glance. Her demeanor changed to one of calmness when the purple haired demon beheld her eyes. She turned her attention to Aion and placed a hand over her jewel once more after raising her jeweled hand.

Azmaria got to her feet and looked at Aion and Arachnia with a determined gaze.

"Let him go!" Rose shouted.

"The Apostle… Where is she?" Aion asked instead.

Rose felt the sudden urge to slap that all too calm grin off his face. Judging from his relaxed posture, he knew darn well where the Apostle of Prudence was. She was sure he also knew she didn't know who this Apostle was. Her eyes took in Arachnia's own stance. From her glare, she could tell the spider demon wanted a reply. That only meant she didn't know the information Aion held… She fixed Aion with cold eyes. "None of your business."

"Is that so?" Aion questioned before smiling. "Then allow the party to commence."

Fiore suddenly appeared beside Aion and teleported before Stella. Within her hand was her spear that she had apparently summoned before joining Aion's side. She swung it with great force and speed.

Stella jumped back to avoid the attack. Upon recovering her stance, she said a few German words before a light green snake-like creature with wings flew from her jewel and towards Fiore. The green creature wrapped itself around her thin body and held her up.

"Sister! You must not do this!" Stella cried out.

"I am not your sister…" Fiore softly said.

Fiore successfully spread her arms out causing the creature to break apart into small specks of green energy. Just as Stella summoned another light green creature to grasp her, Fiore cut deep into the creature's neck with her spear. The creature limply fell to the ground before dissipating as well.

Stella watched her sister with wide eyes. She had always known Fiore was a great summoner but by how easily she could defeat her summonings…

* * *

Rose threw her gun to Azmaria who opened her mouth to protest. Before allowing Azmaria to object, Rose ran towards Chrno. Aion calmly and quickly appeared before her to block her entrance. He grinned and brought his hand up to tilt her chin so her eyes met his.

"Why pretend to be what you are not?" Aion asked and brought his other hand up to run it through her long hair.

"Exactly my question!" Rose yelled. She tried to bring her hand up so as to fist it and punch him square in the nose yet some unforeseen source kept her body still. The only things she seemed to control were her breathing, sight, and speech.

Aion brought his hand from her hair and caressed Rose's cheek. He then brought his hand up and removed her contacts. "You are not Rosette Christopher. You are not Mary Magdalene. You are Rose Allison Remington. And it is indeed selfish of Chrno to try and change you into someone else so you may win his affections."

"You idiot! Chrno already loves me for who I am!" Rose shouted.

"You cut your hair…" Aion ran his hand though her hair once more. "And dyed it… And changed your eye color with contacts… You even wear the same outfit she does… Yet you say Chrno loves you for who you are? No. He loves you for who you used to be and what you try to be. He does not see Rose Remington but Rosette Christopher."

Rose's body became numb to his words. A deep pain went through her heart and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. Her vision became blurry as tears flooded her eyes.

Chrno tried breaking free of his bonds but to no avail.

"No! You're wrong!" Azmaria cried, holding Rose's gun within her hands and pointed at Aion.

"Azmaria…" Rosette softly said.

Weakly, Chrno echoed Azmaria's name.

"You can't do this anymore…" Azmaria softly said. "You were kind to me when I was in your care but… You have killed many and made many suffer! This I will not allow any longer!"

Aion raised a curious eyebrow and took slow strides to her side. He lifted young Azmaria's chin up intently and looked through her ruby eyes. Sure enough, he saw the unflinching determination within her soul.

Azmaria peered back into Aion's own eyes, giving him a deep, heated glare.

* * *

Fiore leaped forward and spun her spear above her head before bringing it down to strike Stella. Stella jumped back barely in time causing part of her dress to become ripped near her knee. She looked down at the torn slit then performed two front flips. She leaped over her sister and brought her arms around Fiore's neck much like a chokehold. Fiore glared at her through the corner of her eye and brought her arm back to elbow Stella in her stomach. Stella winced and loosened her grip just as Fiore had planned. Fiore then grabbed her arms with her free arm and threw the red haired summoner over her causing Stella to crash into the ground. Without further ado, Fiore rushed forward and pointed her menacing spear at Stella's throat.

"I advise you to surrender," Fiore softly said.

Becoming all too accustomed to this scenario, Stella grabbed the spear tip with her jewel hand. _Sister… Florette…_ She closed her eyes for a brief moment. Light began emitting off her body as her hat fell to the ground. Her long red hair began floating up as though gravity no longer existed. Her green dress vanished only to be replaced by a long, shimmering sun yellow gown. The gown slightly floated up as well and was the only thing she wore. She opened her eyes to reveal a lighter shade of them.

* * *

Rose and Azmaria transformed into what appeared to be their true forms.

Rose seemed to have forgotten Aion's painful words and went over to Chrno's side. A small amount of holy energy formed within her hands before she released it causing the webbing to disintegrate upon contact. Chrno limply fell forward but Rose caught him before he hit the ground. She helped him to sit down on the ground before turning her attention to Aion and Arachnia.

Arachnia had been too caught up by Azmaria and Aion that she hadn't noticed this. She glared at Rose and released a wave of webbing at her. Rose flew up into the air to avoid it before shooting out a ray of holy energy. Arachnia placed up a web shield to avoid it before it was destroyed as well.

* * *

Azmaria flew back a bit and began singing. Aion pursed his lips and grabbed out his sword, turning it clockwise causing a transparent barrier to surround him much like a bubble. Azmaria became silent and turned her attention to Stella and Rose. Aion followed her gaze…

Wings sprouted out from Stella's back. She flapped them and flew forward, grabbing her sister by her shoulders. The duo ended up falling onto the ground and rolling over, exchanging blow after blow with one another. Stella punched her sister's face, tears falling down her face. Fiore brought her arms up to shield herself but to no avail. She growled and brought her leg up to kick Stella in the shin. Stella hissed from pain and wrapped her arms around her sister.

"Big Sister, please… Come back to me. Don't leave me," Stella gasped as she began sobbing.

Fiore's features softened as she hugged Stella, trying to soothe her.

* * *

Rose rushed forward and vanished. Arachnia became puzzled by this and looked this way and that for the young Saint. Before she knew it, Rose had appeared once more but right in front of her, sending a sharp punch to her nose before releasing a gargantuan blast of energy into Arachnia's face. Arachnia cried out as she crashed into the wall. She placed her hands over her burnt face, shrieking from pain.

* * *

Chrno stumbled to his feet and watched the battles take place. Arachnia shot out webbing from her hands, webbing that Rose easily got rid of. Stella and Fiore seemed to finally be getting along or at least it appeared as such. Azmaria was watching the battles just like him except… Aion was walking towards her while she wasn't paying attention. Chrno growled and flew towards Aion, tackling him to the ground.

Aion growled and punched Chrno in the face. Chrno retaliated by doing the same. The two continued like this for quite some time. From the appearance of all three battles, it seemed as though Rose and her friends were winning and Aion was losing…

* * *

Azmaria, Rose, and Stella suddenly reverted to their original forms. The three stopped their actions and examined their surroundings. Chrno stopped in his act as well and looked at the three with concern. Next thing Rose knew, she had been kicked in the throat and sent flying to the other side of the room.

Rose massaged her throat, groaning. She saw everyone's eyes were wide and wondered why. What her eyes fell upon was a figure with long ebony hair standing beside Aion.

The figure vaguely looked familiar. The figure wore a black cloak, a white buttoned-up t-shirt, a black miniskirt with a single white stripe going across it near the hem, black finger gloves, and knee-high black heeled boots. The figure turned away from Aion to face them. Rose saw that the figure was that of a young woman very close to her age. The girl's extremely long black hair outlined what it could of her body and it perfectly outlined the features of her face. The girl's ruby eyes pierced through Rose's soul like ice. It was then that Rose realized who this was…

Rose gasped and covered her mouth, her brown eyes wide with shock. It couldn't be! But it was! Yet how! It didn't make any sense to her.

Chrno and Rose exchanged glances, their eyes confirming what the other didn't want to believe.

"Mia…" Rose softly said.

Mia placed a hand over the whip that was strapped to her left side. She didn't respond to Rose's words and, instead, said, "You will regret the day you did harm to my master, Sinner Chrno."

Rose winced at the iciness within Mia's words. She couldn't believe what she was hearing… "Mia! It's me! Rosette!"

She ran off to jump in front of Mia but Arachnia did not allow her, wrapping webbing around Rose's body causing her to fall over. Rose gave her a glare.

"Leave me the hell alone!" Rose shouted and struggled to get free.

Azmaria looked at Rose's gun then at Arachnia then back. She huffed and shot the holy weapon. The holy bullet hit Arachnia right between her eyes before a holy explosion lit the area. Mia grabbed Aion's hand as Rose began towards them to save her best friend or, at least, someone she thought to be her best friend still. Before she could reach them, Aion and Mia vanished. Stella held onto her sister tightly as her body began to fade. Fiore gave her apologies before disappearing as well. Once the holy light was gone, Chrno, Stella, Rose, and Azmaria were the only ones that remained within the room.

* * *

Chrno exited Rose's room, sighing as he closed the door behind him. After what had happened, Rose had passed out. Chrno had taken her to her room to get some rest. Stella was in her room as well, doing the exact thing. Azmaria and he were the only ones not resting.

"How is she?" Azmaria's small voice suddenly asked.

Chrno looked at her and shook his head. "She's still out."

"Mia… Was Rosette very close to her?" Az inquired.

Chrno nodded and looked up at the ceiling as nostalgia filled his soul. "She was her best friend in a previous life."

Azmaria silently nodded in understanding. "What about you, Chrno? Don't you need your rest, too? The poison…"

Chrno smiled faintly. "I'll be fine. We're almost there, right?"

Azmaria nodded with a cheerful smile but concern could still be seen within the depths of her eyes.

"Is Stella alright?" Chrno asked.

"She's a bit… Sad about losing her sister because she was so close to getting her back but I'm sure she'll be fine in the morning," Azmaria said.

Chrno nodded and an awkward silence fell over the two.

After some time, Azmaria finally spoke up. "I'm going to see if the battle had any affect on the ship." She left without further ado and climbed up the stairs to the upper deck. Upon arrival, she saw that the whole deck was covered in salt water. Fish and seaweed laid strewn across the whole entire thing. Sailors were coming to and fro to clean up the mess while others were shouting speculations on what had caused the sudden disturbance. Azmaria brought her gaze to the skies to see it was partially cloudy. The stars seemed to had somehow lost their shimmer and the moon was a faint color of rust.

"Ma'am, you should go back downstairs," a young sailor said as soon as he had spotted Azmaria. "'Tis not safe up here."

"What made this mess?" Azmaria asked instead.

The sailor's eyes twinkled for a moment before he turned away. "The sea was in a great chaos as the heavens seemed to be against us on our way to our destiny. The sky roared in torment and struck its anger across the dark clouds. Water raged down from the gods as the seas became rough with fury. Things did not void well and it all seemed as though nothing more could go wrong but the ship suddenly tilted to the side with a great upheaval. The waters rushed in with ferocity. It seemed as though the ship itself would drown like Atlantis when it turned back into its normal position. The sea calmed as did the heavens. The moon itself seemed to be satisfied with the blood it craved." The sailor ushered to each object he spoke of during this whole thing.

Azmaria wondered why she hadn't taken any notice of this earlier but came to the conclusion that she and the others were too busy fighting Aion and the gang that they wouldn't have had much time to pay attention to these occurrences.

"The last one," the sailor continued, "what I mean to say is that the moon was crimson with vengeance."

Azmaria's eyes widened. Rose and Chrno had been up earlier, hadn't they? Surely they would have noticed, right? And from the faint color the moon still held… She gave her thanks to the sailor and ran off. What if Aion really hadn't gone just yet?

* * *

And that's the end of this chapter, ladies and gentlemen. (bows) Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed it and I thank you if you were patient enough to wait for my updates. To those that have ditched my fic because of my lateness on updating, I give you my dearest humble apologies as well as to everyone else. u.u

Stella has mysterious powers and it seems as though she could be that very Apostle Rose and Aion have been searching for. Stella was so close to getting her sister back and it looked like Fiore had regained her memories of the summoner. And Rose's best friend from her other life is back but is she really just Mia's reincarnation? And is she honestly working alongside Aion willingly? If so, then why? And what about Chrno? Is he really okay after all that just happened? Or is he really hiding his pain so as not to worry the others since they seem to all be lost in thought over these current occurrences? And is Aion still somewhere on the ship? Will Chrno and the others ever get to Italy? And if they do, will they make it in time to save Chrno? You'll just have to wait for the next exciting chapter of Chrno Crusade: The End Is Just The Beginning!


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